Chance Encounters II: The Hand v The Fang
by XtremeGal87
Summary: InuyashaXmenXover. Wolverine gets a call from a friend and flies to Japan in order to rescue her, and of course Jubilee tags along. Things get interesting when they discover that the new organization, the Fang, is run by Inuyasha's brother...
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_** Hi everybody! So, I was reading a review one day when this idea just popped into my brain. And so, here it is! And yes, this is a sequel to _Chance Encounters_, my Inuyasha/X-Men crossover. Technically, you **_could_** read this without reading that, but it'd be easier if you read that first. (Isn't that always how it is with sequels?) Oh, and please note that the main reason I'm posting this under "Inuyasha" instead of "X-Men" is because this is a sequel. Anyway, hope this turns out as good as I'm thinking it could! Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the X-Men…please stop reminding me.

**Chance Encounters II: The Hand v The Fang**

**Prologue:**

**The roar** of Logan's Harley was all Jubilee could hear as they sped through the crowded streets of Tokyo, Japan. Her mind was still racing with the events of the night before, when she'd been unable to sleep and had decided to grab some ice cream from the kitchen at two in the morning.

_**Flashback:**_

_Jubilee walked quietly, doing her best to not wake anyone up as she crept through the halls of Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning, heading straight for her beloved chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. As she softly padded down the stairs, she thought she heard a faint rustling coming from the far side of the living room. Tensing briefly, she considered running upstairs and waking someone up after all, thinking it was a break-in. Then her common-sense kicked in. _Of course it's not a break in, Lee, the alarms would be going crazy if it was. Or, it could be a bad guy intent on killing us all…great, I just love that idea.

_Fortunately, her thoughts were put to rest when a familiar, rough voice interrupted her thoughts. "Jubes, what are ya doin' up, darlin'?" Logan asked quietly, stepping into view, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder._

_The tension fled from her body when she realized it was him, and she walked over towards him. "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd grab some ice cream." She waved away his raised eyebrow with a flick of her wrist. "I know, I know, that's _**so**_ unhealthy, especially at two in the mornin', right?"_

_Logan grinned. "Right. But I ain't gonna stop ya, so go ahead."_

_Jubilee's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Speaking of 'going', where're you off to?"_

"_Got business to take care of in Japan."_

"_So you're just gonna head off while we're all asleep, huh?" She stated knowingly, crossing her arms over her chest without breaking eye-contact._

_Logan shrugged nonchalantly. "It ain't got anything to do with the team, so I didn't see the need to run it by Chuck first. You know how it goes, darlin'."_

_Jubilee inclined her head a bit, acknowledging that she did, indeed, know. But she didn't break eye-contact. "What sort of business?"_

"_Rumor has it the Hand's up to something again."_

"_And that automatically means that you're needed? The Hand's _**always**_ up to something, Wolvie. Why is this any different?"_

"_Yukio called. Said the Fang's plannin' on tradin' her in to the Hand fer some kinda 'truce'. Supposedly, the Hand's plannin' on killin' her. I aim ta get her out 'fore the Fang can hand her over."_

_Jubilee was silent for a moment, then said. "And that doesn't sound like a set-up to you? We haven't even heard from Yukio in almost a year; and now this?"_

"_Sure it sounds like a trap, Jubilee. But sometimes ya have ta go with it, anyway. You been hangin' around me long enough to know that."_

_Jubilee sighed. "Ok, so what's the plan?"_

_Logan's eyes hardened. "No. You ain't comin' along fer this one, Jubes. Too dangerous."_

_Jubilee met his gaze unflinchingly. "Uh-uh. I'm coming with you, and that's that. You're gonna need help on this one, Wolvie, and you know it. This way, you don't have to ask for help later; I'm coming now."_

_Logan gave her a look, and asked, "Do you even know what the Fang is?"_

"_Sure I do. It's some big, fancy bodyguard-type business, isn't it?"_

"_Yeah, only thing is, a lot o' those 'bodyguards' are retired assassins."_

"'_Retired' as in 'old', or 'retired' as in 'recovering'?"_

"_Recovering. An' that makes 'em just as dangerous as any Hand agent. Which means ya ain't comin' on this one."_

"_I am. That's all there is to it. I've helped against the Hand before; and if the Fang is really a 'bodyguard' thing, then they should be more reasonable, anyway. Which leads me to my next point: why would a bunch of supposedly-law-abiding bodyguards kidnap Yukio?"_

"_I told ya, the Hand's been hasslin' 'em, and they're prob'ly hopin' to get 'em off their back by handin' her over."_

"_Uh-huh. So, are we planning to break into the Fang's place or something?"_

"_That's the general idea. But you ain't comin'."_

"_Logan, I turned _**nineteen**_ last week, not _**nine**_. I'm coming. If you don't take me with you, then I'll go on my own and meet you there. And you know I will, to. So, what's your decision?" Jubilee stated, crossing her arms again and making certain that he could tell how serious she was._

_Finally, Logan sighed. "Fine. Go get some stuff, you've got five minutes. If you ain't ready in time, I'm gone."_

"_Done." Jubilee agreed, spinning around and racing back up the stairs, her treasured ice cream long forgotten._

_**End Flashback**_

**They'd taken** a red-eye flight, and Logan had managed to find a rental place that rented motorcycles, and then they'd taken off for the hotel he'd called from the airport. At this point, Jubilee was feeling a bit anxious about whatever it was that they'd gotten themselves into this time. _Ok, so, admittedly, I wouldn't be feeling like this if I'd let him go on his own, but he's going to need help; and someone he can trust. I've got such a bad feeling about this._

Logan found the hotel, more of a motel, and pulled into the parking lot. Finding a spot near the back, he got off, told Jubilee to wait there, and went inside to get the key. Five minutes later he came out, grabbed their duffle bags, and Jubilee followed him inside.

**The room** was sparsely furnished, two double beds, one uncomfortable looking chair, and a small, obviously old, TV that sat across from the bed nearest the window. The bathroom, which was directly to the right of the main door, had a narrow shower and a toilet, across from which was the sink and mirror. The mirror itself was broken in at least three places.

Jubilee plopped onto the first bed and leaned back, a sarcastic grin spreading across her face. "The places you take me to, Wolvie. This is great."

Logan grunted as he walked across the room and drew the curtains shut. "Don't start complainin', darlin', you're the one who demanded to come."

Flipping over on her stomach to look at him, she grinned. "I was just jokin', y'know. Sure, the place ain't great, but it'll do. I wasn't expecting a five-star resort, complete with an indoor spa."

Logan allowed a small grin as he sat down on the other bed and faced her. "Good, I ain't got the money fer a place like that."

Jubilee laughed softly at the joke, pulling herself to a sitting position, perching on the side of the bed. "Yeah, I know." After a pause, she spoke again, her voice serious this time. "So, how're we gonna go about this?"

Logan was quiet for a moment, contemplating. Jubilee, used to his behavior, stayed silent and waited for the response she knew would come. Finally, his gaze returned to hers. "We'll have to wait 'til tonight. It'd be stupid to try to break into the Fang's headquarters in broad daylight. But security'll still be good, seein' as the whole thing's owned by a Taisho."

Jubilee's eyes widened a bit. "A Taisho? Really? We're talking the same Taisho who owns that huge computer company?" Taisho was a newly-common name in America, but it had been famous in Asia for nearly five years. Sesshoumaru Taisho was CEO of Taisho Technologies; his company had invented a new type of computer, way beyond 'high-tech laptop' or 'brand new flat screen.'

"Yeah, that Taisho."

Jubilee whistled. "So, we're breaking into a building owned by Sesshoumaru Taisho, and inhabited by a bunch 'reformed' assassins?" Again, Logan nodded. Jubilee broke into a grin. "This is gonna be fun."

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N: _**Whew, there's the prologue! Yes, I know it's short. I did that on purpose. I promise all subsequent chapters will be much longer! I hope you liked it! And please review! Oh, and, of course, don't forget to read chapter 1! Also, FFN's not working properly, so please forgive the lack of page-breaks, it wouldn't let me add them; sorry if it bothers you!


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N:_** So, this is (obviously) chapter 1! I hope you like it! Oh, and no, this is not AU. This is **_future_** (for the IY universe). Put simply, it's been 500 years since the Naraku thing; and, in addition, it's been about eight months since _Chance Encounters_. I forgot to mention that in the last author's note. I hope that makes sense; if you have any questions on that, let me know, and I'll try to clear it up. Oh, and before I forget, Sesshoumaru **_will_** have two arms in this story. The theory behind that is simple: he's a full-blooded demon, so naturally, he can re-grow pretty much any body part, though it may take some time. I feel that 500 years is plenty of time to re-grow an arm, don't you? Anyway, this is getting rather long, so I'm gonna go now. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Inuyasha and the X-Men, I'd be the happiest girl in the world…but, sadly, I don't.

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Chapter 1:**

**The rest** of the day passed uneventfully, and Logan woke Jubilee up at eleven that night. "C'mon, darlin', it's time to go."

"What time is it?"

"Eleven."

"Isn't that kinda early?"

"I figured we'd hit a burger joint first, then get this done with."

"Oh, food, I can get behind that idea." Jubilee stated, sitting up and yawning loudly.

Logan handed her her helmet when she exited the bathroom, and she accepted it silently. Together they headed to the rental bike, and moments later they were racing off, towards the nearest McDonald's.

**An hour** later they pulled onto the street that was home to Fang Headquarters. There were a couple of side-streets connected to it, and Logan pulled into the first one and parked the bike just out of sight from the road. Quickly, they climbed off of the bike and began walking towards the large building at the end of the road.

Fang Headquarters was nothing short of an old-fashioned mansion. It was four stories tall, with a gazebo on the roof. According to the information Logan had been able to dig up that day, it also had a basement, which is where he had deduced they were holding Yukio. The building itself looked harmless enough, with white paint and deep blue trim and roofing. In the spacious backyard there was a small garden and, at the back, stables. Enough room to hold twenty horses. And beside the main building was a six-car garage designed to match. The top floor had two separate, elaborate balconies, one on either side.

Jubilee had to fight the urge to whistle appreciatively. _Whoa. Too bad we have to break in, and probably beat the crud outta whoever lives there. Under other circumstances, I'd _**love**_ to look around this place!_ Glancing to her left, she met Logan's eyes, waiting for his cue. It was still his mission, after all.

Wolverine broke eye-contact with his partner in crime briefly, silently assessing the large building before them. He knew, instinctively, that it would be all too easy to run in to a problem once they got inside. He also knew that there was no one else he'd rather have at his side. Glancing back towards Jubilee, their eyes met, and he nodded once. She returned the gesture. _Here we go._ He thought fleetingly.

**They made **quick work of the window's lock, Jubilee slipping inside first before raising it higher so that Logan could crawl through. Stealth was the idea, so they'd opted not to just crash through. Once inside, Logan quickly returned the window to its former position just before the alarm-jamming device he'd brought with them stopped working.

When that was done, they crept silently towards a back door that Logan knew led to a staircase which would lead them downstairs, hopefully to Yukio. _With a little luck, we'll be in an' out before any knows we were here._ Sadly, as was often the case in such a situation, 'luck' wasn't on their side this night.

Wolverine froze, placing a hand on Jubilee's forearm to have her do the same, when he heard someone grumbling behind them. He quickly scented the air, knowing he wouldn't recognize the scent, but wanting to store it away for another time. He caught an odd scent; it wasn't human, nor did it seem overly mutant. Turning around silently, he squinted, and his enhanced eyesight picked out a short figure shuffling towards what must be the kitchen, holding some sort of staff that was larger than himself.

The figure kept mumbling something about obnoxious humans and frustrating infants as he walked towards the kitchen, not bothering to turn on a light, obviously perfectly familiar with the path. Logan studied the odd-looking staff it held, noting that the top was carved to resemble a woman's face. Just as it occurred to him that they would be in plain sight if whoever it was flipped on a light switch, he saw the mouth of the woman's face open wide. He had a fleeting moment to consider how odd that was before a high-pitched shrilling scream issued forth from its mouth. He heard Jubilee mutter "uh-oh" even as he tensed, preparing to fight.

**The scream** startled Jaken out of his grumblings quicker than he could have anticipated. He spun around quickly, mentally wincing at the punishment he could well receive for waking his lord inadvertently. Raising the staff in front of him and positioning the old man's face outward, he called out shakily, "Who's there! I demand that you reveal yourself at once!"

Jaken took a small step backwards when he saw a figure move towards him. The size of the person, though much larger than he himself, wasn't all that big. But he wasn't prepared for the stranger's speed. Before he could react, he was pinned against the wall, three ominous, silver claws glinting in the faint moonlight that leaked through a nearby window. Jaken fidgeted uselessly; he was at least a foot off of the floor.

"I got a better idea, bub. You shut up an' show me the way to yer holdin' cells."

Jaken sputtered, put off by the request. "O-our holding cells? Why on Earth would you want me to take you there? And who do you think you are, that you can break in to Lord Sesshoumaru's home like this!"

The hand around Jaken's throat tightened fractionally, warning him to be quiet. "You've got someone down there that I aim to release; an' if you don't comply willingly, I'll drag you by yer feet, got it?" It was then that another scent reached Logan's nose. But the warning came too late, for even as his sensitive hearing picked up on the sound of something fast and small, like a bullet, coming towards him, he felt it pierce his chest. It was followed by two more similar objects. The force of it tossed him backwards, forcing him to release his hold on the imp.

**He'd only** been tossed back a few feet, and though the projectiles had gone through him, he was already on his feet and healing. He felt Jubilee come up beside him, her hands up, ready to shed some light on their adversaries when necessary. Growling, he clenched his fists and popped his other set of claws.

An unknown voice coming from the direction of the stairs caught their attention. "What the hell's going on here, Jaken? Who're these people?"

Jaken sputtered. "I don't know! They were here when I came down! That one said he wants to free someone from the holding cells. And he tried to kill me! What are you doing, don't just stand there!"

The man leaned up against the side of the staircase sighed and shoved off the wall, stepping up to stand beside the green imp. Despite the darkness, he leveled his gaze with that of Wolverine's and brought up one clawed hand, flexing it warningly. "Alright, who are you and what are you **_really_** doing here? And don't make me ask twice, or it won't be pretty."

"I hate t'break it to ya, bub, but I don't intimidate easily. If yer aimin' to get in my way, then I'll just take ya down."

"Oh? Rather confident in your abilities, are you?"

"Looks like yer startin' to understand me." Logan growled.

"I see. And what of your companion? Is she as adept as you claim to be? Or would she not heal if I were to shoot her with my claws, as I did you a moment ago." To emphasize his point, he flicked his wrist, sending five bullet-like claws flying towards Jubilee.

Fortunately, she was well practiced and had good reflexes, so she quickly rolled to the other side of Wolverine, coming up in a battle-ready crouch with ease. Wolverine growled audibly, tensing to pounce. "That was a bad idea, bub. It's time ya learned what **_my claws_** can do." Then he lunged.

Jaken, who was feeling rather forgotten, decided to aid his comrade. "Allow me, Hiryu. This is what you get for attacking me!" Then he slammed the Staff of Two Heads down and the old man's mouth opened, sending a stream of fire straight at the air-born Wolverine. Logan grunted and twisted, so that he'd land and roll, putting out as many of the flames as possible.

Jubilee decided she'd seen enough, and raised her hands, aiming them at the small toad-like man. "Hey, let's see how you like the heat!" Then she released a stream of white-hot plasma in his direction. Jaken shrieked and ducked behind the one he'd called Hiryu.

"Useful, I suppose. But really, that just won't cut it." Hiryu said, sounding almost bored. Then he once again flicked his claws in her direction.

**By now,** Logan had recovered from the fire that had temporarily consumed him, and he returned to his feet as Jubilee once again dodged the bullet-claws. Taking advantage of the distraction, he lunged quickly forward and managed to spear his claws into Hiryu's shoulder. **_That_** got a reaction.

Hiryu spun backwards, removing Wolverine's claws from his shoulder simultaneously. Behind him, Jaken quickly scrambled out of the way. Hiryu could smell the anger, and determination, that was wafting off of the smaller man before him. As near as he could tell, the man was a mutant feral, not a demon. But that, apparently, didn't mean he wasn't a threat. Which suited him fine.

Just then, a silver-hilted dagger shot through the room, imbedding itself on the wall just over Jubilee's shoulder. When they looked up, a woman was balanced on the railing of the stairs, one hand still holding a matching dagger. Hiryu nodded up at the woman before sending a powerful kick into Logan's stomach, forcing him backwards. The woman did a fancy flip and landed behind Jubilee.

Jubilee spun around, her hands up, preparing to defend herself. The woman reached up behind her and pulled the dagger out of the wall with ease. "Whoever you are, you don't belong here. We're not kind to trespassers. Surrender now, and maybe we'll show you mercy."

"Oh, **_puh_**-leeze. You think you're so much better than me, just 'cause you've got daggers?"

"If that was my only advantage, you'd stand a chance." The woman whispered threateningly, spinning the daggers with practiced ease. The woman lunged, daggers out, intending to spear Jubilee's shoulders.

Jubilee, being better trained than the woman obviously gave her credit for, spun around and ducked, kicking one foot out and managing to snag one of her assailant's ankles, sending her sprawling forward. Then she jumped back to her feet, narrowly avoiding the kick that her opponent had intended to deliver as she flipped herself back to her feet. The woman spun her daggers around again, and Jubilee flicked a wrist in her direction, spraying her with white-hot plasma. The woman gave a cut-off shriek and flew backwards, unprepared for the attack.

Jaken came running forward, swinging the two-headed staff wildly, obviously intending to beat her with it. Jubilee ducked again and spun, grabbing the staff as she did so. Putting her weight behind her, she continued spinning and tossed the imp across the room, where he landed expertly on the woman with the daggers.

**While Jubilee** was taking out her opponents, Wolverine was busy with his. Hiryu, whoever he was, was obviously very good at what he did. _But I'm the best_. Logan thought as he tackled the taller man, pinning him to the floor with a claw on either side of his throat. He raised his other fist, claws out, intending to either force the man to surrender…or to severely injure him. But Hiryu disappeared. Briefly.

A heartbeat later, Hiryu was behind him, and had his own claws against Logan's throat, lifting him with frightening ease off of the floor. Logan had a sinking feeling that the man intended to run his other claws through him, but he had no intention of allowing it.

Using his body weight, he spun slightly sideways and slashed with his claws towards his enemy's face. Suddenly he was in a free fall, as Hiryu teleported out from behind him and reappeared in front of him instead. He _tsk tsked_ and reached a hand up. Suddenly, a sword was in his hand, and he was swinging it down with an expertise that comes from years of experience.

Logan braced himself, knowing it would hurt, and also knowing that it wouldn't kill him. That was when a bright burst of plasma slammed into Hiryu, sending him flying into the wall beside the stairs, sending his sword flying. Logan cut a side-long glance to Jubilee, and she smiled at him before returning her attention to the woman, who had gotten back to her feet. Logan, too, returned his attention to his own opponent.

**Hiryu had** just gotten to his feet, having teleported his sword back into his hand, when he sensed more company arriving. He knew who it was, even before his nose confirmed it. Mentally cursing up a storm, he teleported the sword away before teleporting behind Wolverine and delivering a sharp kick to both of his knees, forcing them to give way. He wrapped his clawed hand around the shorter man's throat moments before the two new arrivals appeared at the top of the stairs.

Jubilee saw Logan forced to his knees, and the distraction was all that the woman she was fighting needed. She felt a sharp blow to her stomach and collapsed, unable to hide the pain. The woman moved behind her and forced her onto her knees as well, holding a dagger to her throat in a silent warning. It occurred to Jubilee that they were facing the stairs in a forced bow at the same moment that Jaken screeched: "Lord Sesshoumaru!"

'_Lord'? What the hell?_ She thought fleetingly.

**"What is** going on down here? I do not appreciate being awoken at this hour by intruders in my home." An elegant, powerful voice declared calmly.

"Milord, I apologize! These...**_people_** took me by surprise, and they seem to be decent fighters, and, we're so very sorry for disturbing you! We seem to have them under control-" Jaken's ramblings were interrupted by a different voice, coming from the man standing next to Sesshoumaru.

"Oi, Hiryu, Amara, let 'em up! And will someone turn a damned light on?"

Hiryu hesitated, glancing from the man who'd spoken to Sesshoumaru in question. "Shall we release them, my Lord?"

Sesshoumaru paused, glancing sideways at his younger, and sometimes reckless, half brother. Finally, he returned his gaze to Hiryu and nodded. "Yes. Release them. Jaken, turn on the light."

"Ay-aye, milord!" Jaken stuttered, scrambling to obey the powerful dog demon.

**Amara and **Hiryu slowly released Wolverine and Jubilee a moment after Jaken had flicked the lights on. Logan instinctively rose to his feet, not yet sheathing his claws. Behind him, he heard Jubilee stand as well. Then he shifted his attention to the stairs. Sesshoumaru, or who he guessed was Sesshoumaru, was walking calmly down the stairs, obscuring the view of whoever was behind him. The problem was, this Sesshoumaru didn't look like the public Sesshoumaru Taisho. He had long, flowing silver hair and pointed ears, piercing golden eyes and a blue crescent moon on his forehead. He also had four red stripes on his face and wrists, and clawed hands. And a pelt of fur slung over one shoulder.

Sesshoumaru, who was a good foot taller than Wolverine, raised a delicate eyebrow as he finished descending the stairs. "I assume you know these people, little brother. Or else you would not have ordered their release."

That's when the other man stepped out from behind Sesshoumaru. Logan could smell Jubilee's surprise as easily as the familiar, though slightly aged, scent of Inuyasha. He still had long silver hair, hard golden eyes, clawed hands and dog ears. And, of course, his sword. But he no longer wore his old robes. He, like Sesshoumaru, was dressed in slacks, but he was shirtless, whereas Sesshoumaru was wearing a white button-up, long sleeved shirt.

"Yeah, I know 'em. They helped Kagome an' me a while back." Then Inuyasha shifted his attention to the two 'intruders' and crossed his arms habitually. "Ya wanna tell me what the heck you're doin' here?"

By now, Jubilee had come up beside Logan, absently rubbing her arm where Amara had had it pinned behind her back. Logan, trusting Inuyasha, retracted his claws and relaxed his stance. He paused, running over the memory of the phone call he'd received from Yukio. Even when he'd gotten it, he'd acknowledged that there was something off with it. Now he knew he'd been set up.

"I got a phone call from a friend sayin' she was being kept here against her will. According to her, the Fang was plannin' on handin' her over to the Hand as some sort o' truce. I knew when I got the call that it was probably a trap, but I owed it to her to check up on it."

"You were told we were plannin' on making a **_truce_** with the **_Hand_**? Keh, that's ridiculous. We wouldn't bargain with those asshole's if our lives depended on it."

"If I'd known you were part o' the Fang, we'd a done things differently."

"Yeah, I imagine you would've."

"Inuyasha, you know these people? Who are they!" Jaken demanded, attempting to assert himself as he walked up and waved his staff in front of Inuyasha's face.

Inuyasha growled and swiped the staff out of his face. "Knock it off, imp! Damn. Everyone, meet Wolverine an' Jubilee."

"Call me Logan."

"Um, who is…everyone else?" Jubilee asked, attempting to sound polite. Inuyasha's fist collided with Jaken's head as the toad demon attempted to answer her question.

"This is Jaken, the most annoying toad demon on Earth. That's Sesshoumaru; my older half-brother; he's a dog-demon. **_That_**," he said, indicating Hiryu, "is Hiryu; he's a teleporting demon. And she's Amara, snake demon."

Hiryu gave a formal bow as he apologized for attacking them. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of old jeans with a hole in the left knee. He had dark brown hair and violet eyes, and pointed ears. His hair was slightly shaggy, but not too overgrown. Beside him, Amara bowed as well, her daggers slipped back into the holders on her thighs. She had long, sea green hair and black eyes, her pupils slits. She had the necessary pointed ears and clawed hands of a demon. She was wearing an opal, sheer nightgown that just covered her thigh straps.

"The situation is dealt with. Hiryu, Amara, you are dismissed. Jaken, return to what you were doing." Sesshoumaru spoke. Hiryu and Amara mumbled acknowledgement of their orders and then Amara walked past, heading up the stairs, while Hiryu teleported away. Jaken screeched an "aye milord" and then he, too, walked off.

**Soon, only** the four of them were left in the large living room. Sesshoumaru waved an arm towards one of the couches and said, "Please, have a seat."

Jubilee got to the couch first, flopping down and allowing herself to sink backwards into the large, overstuffed piece of furniture. Logan sat down beside her, leaning back as well. Sesshoumaru claimed a matching chair across from them, and Inuyasha leaned backwards against a wall, arms crossed.

"So what're you gonna do now that you know you were sent on a wild goose chase?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

Logan shrugged. "Don't know yet. It's possible the Hand forced her t'make that phone call; in which case, she's prob'ly bein' held there. But it's a hell of a lot harder to break into Hand HQ. Though I've done it before."

"This friend of yours, if you do not mind my asking, what is her name?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yukio. She's ex-Hand, which is why they'd be after her. Viper hates her."

Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding.

"Your friend's in a hell of a lot of trouble, then. If they've got her." Inuyasha stated bluntly. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Look, the way I see it, I owe you a favor. If you want help dealin' with this, I'll help."

"You don't owe us anything, but I ain't about to turn down an offer o' help from a friend. I appreciate it." Logan replied.

"Keh." Was all Inuyasha said.

**Jubilee couldn't** take it anymore. "Hey, Inuyasha, I have a question."

The half-demon's eyes shifted to her. "Yeah?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in **_Feudal_** Japan?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Sorta. For you it's only been eight months, but for me it's been 500 years and eight months."

Jubilee blanched. "You mean, you've been **_alive_** for **_500 years_**!" And then she whistled. "Wow. You don't look that much older, though."

"I've only aged the equivalent of **_five_** years. That's why."

"Oh…whoa, that's just so…**_cool_**. So, are you immortal?"

"Nah, I'm just **_almost_** immortal. I will, eventually, die of old age. But it'll be while. **_He's_** immortal, though." He replied, indicating Sesshoumaru.

"That is **_so_** cool!" Jubilee stated. Logan rolled his eyes.

"You'd think things'd stop surprising you after all these years on the X-Men."

Jubilee shook her head, a grin on her face. "Nope, not me. I will always be able to appreciate the cool things."

"I don't doubt it." They lapsed in to silence for a moment, and Jubilee had to try not to laugh as all three of them suddenly looked over to the staircase, having heard something that she couldn't hear. A moment later, a soft voice called down the stairs curiously.

**"Daddy?** Are you down there?" the young voice asked. They watched as Sesshoumaru stood gracefully and walked to the foot of the stairs.

"Karu, you should be in bed. Why are you up?"

"Jaken walked by my room, grumbling about 'stupid humans' or something I think. Who're the strange people on the couch?" Karu was a little boy of about eight, with waist length silver hair and dog ears identical to Inuyasha's. He also had the family eyes and claws.

"They're friends of Inuyasha's. Don't mind Jaken's grumblings, Karu. Go back to bed."

"Ok Daddy. G'night. 'Night, Uncle Yash."

Sesshoumaru said "Good night." At the same time Inuyasha called, "'Night, pup." The room was silent again until not even Sesshoumaru could hear the soft padding of his son's footfalls going down the hall, towards the next staircase.

Once Karu had retreated, Sesshoumaru turned towards his unexpected guests and nodded to them. "You are welcome to stay here while you are in Japan. Inuyasha can show you to a room. Good evening." And then he, too, headed up the stairs for bed.

**Inuyasha pushed** off the wall and looked over at the two X-Men who were occupying his brother's couch. "So, you want to crash here, or do you have a place?"

"Technically, we've got a place. But I think we'd be better off to take you up on the offer if it's all the same to you."

Inuyasha nodded. "Then follow me." He said, starting up the stairs. Logan stood and followed Inuyasha, Jubilee behind him, up the stairs.

A few minutes (and three staircases) later, Inuyasha stopped in front of a door on the fourth floor. "Hope one room's ok; it's all we've got right now. Well, at least that I'd think about puttin' you in."

"One room's fine." Logan assured with a nod.

Inuyasha nodded as well. "If you need anything, knock on either of those two doors. You'll get me or Sesshoumaru. Otherwise, see you in the morning."

Logan nodded again, and Jubilee waved goodnight before letting herself into the room they'd been offered. Logan watched Inuyasha walk into the closer of the two rooms and shut the door softly behind him. Then he, too, entered the guest room.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** So, there ya go! I hope you liked it! Don't forget to R&R, please! And please be gentle if you must flame. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N:_** Hello everybody! Chapter 2 has arrived! Yay! Anyway, I want to apologize for any and all OOCness within this story. (It's not easy writing Sesshoumaru as a father, y'know). Oh, and please forgive any minor errors…I'm certainly not perfect, after all. Also, I'm going to say that the subjugation spell was removed from the rosary, though the rosary itself remains; ok? And, above all, **_enjoy!_**

**Disclaimer:** I do not, nor will I ever, own Inuyasha or the X-Men…but I **_do_** own: Hiryu, Amara, and any children of Sesshoumaru/Rin or Inuyasha/Kagome. Hope that clears things up.

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Chapter 2:**

**Logan shut** the door behind him, locking it out of habit more than necessity. Then he looked around the room, taking in his surroundings. The room was as large as the rooms at Xavier's, easily. It held one king sized bed that was pushed up against the far left wall. There was a closet opposite the bed on the right wall, and next to it was the door to the private bathroom. The window was between the headboard and the closet, a small dresser/nightstand underneath it. There was a small sofa placed diagonally between the room's entry way and the bathroom door, and a TV was resting on another dresser/nightstand across from the couch, angled so that it could also be seen from the bed. There was a ceiling fan with three light bulbs on the base in the center of the room.

Jubilee was sitting on the bed, watching him examine the room. When he was done, his gaze returned to her, and she smiled at him. "So, does it meet your approval?"

He grinned as he collapsed onto the couch. "I s'pose. Sure beats that dive we're supposed to be stayin' in."

"Speaking of which, we're going back for our stuff tomorrow, right?"

"You have to ask?"

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." Jubilee returned, laughing. Then she said, "Y'know, Wolvie, I could fit on the couch as easily as you can. Why don't you take the bed?"

Logan shook his head. "I'll be fine. Get some sleep."

Jubilee sighed. "Ok, fine. Let me know tomorrow if you change your mind; we could change up every night, too, if you want."

"Good night, Jubes."

"'Night, Wolvie." Jubilee replied, kicking off her shoes and tossing her trench coat on the floor before she crawled underneath the covers of the large bed. Logan stretched out on the couch, for once grateful that he was shorter than most men.

* * *

**Inuyasha silently** shut the door behind him, locking it, and then stepped away from it. He paused, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room, and then let his gaze rest on the woman sitting up in the bed. He moved to the side, and placed his sheathed sword in its holding place over the dresser. Then he quickly crossed the distance between the dresser and the kind sized bed, sitting down and wrapping his arms around his mate.

Kagome curled against him silently, resting her head on his chest and absent-mindedly tracing his muscles with her right hand. "What was it, Inuyasha?"

"A misunderstanding. You remember Wolverine and Jubilee?"

Kagome paused, drawing the memories from where they'd been filed away so many years ago. Then she replied, "Yeah, they were part of the X-Men. Why?"

"They're staying in the room next to ours for a while."

"Seriously? They're here?"

"Yeah. Someone told 'em that we were keeping a friend of theirs, intending to turn the friend over to the Hand, of all people. They broke in, tryin' to save her."

"The Hand? That's not exactly good. What are they going to do?"

"I don't think they know that yet. But I offered to help 'em, seeing as they helped us. Figured we owe 'em that much." He explained, trailing his claws through her long, dark hair and rubbing her back.

"I understand. But be careful, please."

"Keh, don't worry 'bout me, wench. Now go back to sleep, somethin' tells me we're gonna be busy tomorrow."

Kagome murmured an agreement, then leaned up and pressed her lips to his affectionately. He kissed her back, briefly allowing his tongue to delve into her mouth. Then they pulled apart and she resettled herself against him and drifted off to sleep. Inuyasha joined her shortly thereafter.

* * *

**That morning, **someone tapped gently on Logan and Jubilee's borrowed bedroom door just before nine. Logan rolled off of the couch and walked the two steps to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open. On the other side, a woman with long pink hair, which was pulled back in a braid, and bright blue eyes greeted him kindly.

"Good morning, friends. Lord Sesshoumaru and Master Inuyasha have instructed me to inform you that they will be having breakfast shortly, and you are invited to join them. I will be happy to lead you to the dinning room if you desire."

Logan paused, then cast a glance over his shoulder towards Jubilee, who had been flipping through the channels on the TV when this woman had knocked on the door. "You hungry, darlin'?"

"Starved." She replied, tugging on her jacket and boots.

Logan looked back to the woman before him. "Lead the way."

* * *

**Five minutes** later, their hostess had delivered them to the dinning room. There were a total of eight people gathered around the dinning room already. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were standing back from the table, talking. Kagome was talking to a woman they didn't know, and the boy from the night before was talking animatedly with the other three strangers. Two of whom looked like older versions of him, and one, a female, with long black and silver hair and matching dog ears on her head. She had dark brown eyes, unlike all the other demons (and half demons) in the room.

Their pink-haired guide bowed graciously as she entered. "Here you are." Then she bowed again and exited the room. A hush fell over the group as the guide walked away. Kagome smiled and got up, walking over to them. "Hi. I hope you slept ok."

"Oh yeah, that bed was so comfortable." Jubilee stated with a grin. Logan just nodded.

"It's good to see you both again."

"You, too. So, are you 500 years older, too?" At the table, the young woman with silver and black hair chuckled, though she tried not to.

Kagome nodded. "Yep. I sure am. Come on, sit down."

Obediently, they both pulled out a chair and sat down. Sesshoumaru took his seat at the head of the table, and Inuyasha sat opposite the woman Kagome'd been talking to. Kagome sat between him and the other unknown woman. The two young men sat next to the woman sitting next to Sesshoumaru, and Karu sat beside them. Jubilee sat two seats away from Kagome and Logan sat at the foot of the table.

Almost immediately, a servant came in and placed food in front of everyone before vanishing again. Then Kagome spoke. "Alright, I suppose it's time for introductions. Everyone, these are some friends of mine, Logan and Jubilee."

There were murmured 'hello's and then Kagome took over again. "Logan, Jubilee, this is mine and Inuyasha's oldest daughter, Chikara." She indicated the young woman sitting beside her. Chikara smiled sweetly. Then Kagome continued. "That is my best friend, and Sesshoumaru's wife, Rin. The boys beside her are their twins, Tai and Matt. And that's Karu, their youngest."

After the introductions had all been made, there was murmured conversation as everyone dug in to their breakfast before it got cold.

* * *

**When breakfast** was done, Karu's babysitter came in and ushered him out of the dinning room with promises of Disney movies and a game of catch. Tai excused himself and left to go to work, Matt had plans with some friends and Chikara had a book she had to finish before the summer was up and school began.

Once the children were gone, Sesshoumaru stood. "Let us move to my office, where we can properly discuss your situation."

"Discussion would be good, but we've got some stuff back at the hole-in-wall motel we were at, and I figure we should prob'ly pick it up first, if it's all the same to you." Logan stated, rising to his feet as he spoke.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. When you return, I will have someone show you the way."

"You might wanna be careful; the Hand could be watchin' your hotel room to see if you survived or not. If they sent you after us, then they may not expect you to come back." Inuyasha added.

Logan inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Yeah, the thought occurred to me. But I been dealin' with the Hand for years; I know how to take care o' myself. We'll be back in about 20 minutes."

"Good luck." Kagome called as they walked out of the dinning room.

* * *

**It took** barely five minutes for them to find the hidden motorcycle and get back on the road. Ten minutes after that, they were back in their 'hotel' and going through their duffle bags to be certain that nothing was missing.

"Well, what d'ya know, no one pilfered anything from my bag while we were away." Jubilee commented jokingly as she zipped it up and threw it over her shoulder.

Logan grinned slightly in response. "I take it yer ready to go, darlin'?"

"Yep. Let's blow this joint." She replied. He rolled his eyes at her intentionally lame joke and held the door open for her. They headed down to the desk, and Logan returned the key to the clerk, as he explained that it turned out they only needed the room for one night instead of the two he'd prepaid for. The man handed him a receipt and explained that the left-over money would not be charged, and then they left.

* * *

**"Why do** I have a bad feeling about all this?" Kagome asked shortly after their friends had departed.

"'Cause the Hand's involved and we all know they're a pain in the ass to deal with?" Inuyasha offered from his spot against the wall. Kagome sighed in agreement.

"We must discover why they sent your friends here. I believe it's safe to assume that the Hand is unaware that you have an alliance with any of the X-Men, let alone Wolverine." Sesshoumaru stated.

"It's also safe to assume that Jubilee was just taggin' along. It's Wolverine they're after. Or us."

"Possibly both." Kagome pointed out.

As a maid came in to clean away the dishes, both Kagome and Rin rose to give her more space. Sesshoumaru spoke. "This is not the place to have such a discussion." And then he headed out the door, towards his office. The others followed silently.

Sesshoumaru took the seat behind his desk, Rin and Kagome claimed the two set up in front of it, and Inuyasha leaned on the wall nearest Kagome, arms crossed.

"Ok, so let's say the Hand wants to ruin the Fang and decided to try an' take out Wolverine while they're at it. They're bound to figure out that he didn't take us down, and that we're working together. So they're gonna try an' do something about that. The only question is, what's their next move gonna be?" Inuyasha began once they were all settled.

"It is impossible to accurately predict their next move. All we can do is prepare for the most likely scenarios until we learn more. For that, we must talk this over with Wolverine." Sesshoumaru added, looking over at his brother.

"Yeah." Inuyasha agreed.

"What if they don't make another move? They could just wait for us to do something." Kagome said quietly.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I doubt it. That ain't their style. They don't like to sit back and wait for something; they like to go out and make it happen. We just don't know what it is that they intend to do."

"Agreed. And if their previous behavior holds true, we will not be waiting long." Sesshoumaru commented.

* * *

**The room** was quiet for a few moments, until a soft tapping on the door drew both Sesshoumaru's and Inuyasha's attention. "Enter." Sesshoumaru called, recognizing the scent.

Hiryu appeared inside the room, bowing briefly before moving beside the desk. "My lord, there are reports from the guards that a strange scent has been coming in from the East side of the property. Iori went to inspect it, but he has not returned."

"How long ago was Iori dispatched?"

"Nearly half an hour, my lord."

"Then go investigate this yourself, Hiryu. I do not desire to be spied upon."

"Understood, my lord."

"And Hiryu, should you find this spy, bring him to me."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." Hiryu agreed, bowing again before teleporting away.

"Great, now we have a spy, too?" Kagome commented after Hiryu had left.

"Probably an agent of the Hand, trying to figure out if Wolverine was successful or not." Inuyasha stated, a low growl in his voice.

"I think I'm going to find Anna, and inform her to not let Karu play in the Eastern courtyard today." Rin declared, standing.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "A good idea. If they are already outside, send someone to retrieve them, but do not venture out on your own."

"Of course." She replied, walking around the desk to kiss him briefly before exiting the office. After she left, the office again descended into silence.

* * *

**Rin was** crossing the living room, on her way back to Sesshoumaru's office, when the front door opened and their newest guests walked in. She stopped and turned to face them. "Hello, I assume everything went well?" She said in greeting.

Jubilee smiled at her. "Yeah, no problems."

"Good. Please, follow me. I was just on my way to the office." Glancing at the bags slung over their shoulders, she smiled a bit and added, "If you don't mind, I can have someone drop those off in your room for you."

"That'd be fine with me. Wolvie?"

"Sure."

Rin nodded and turned, scanning the room. Finally, her eyes landed on the pink-haired woman from earlier that morning. She called her over. "Ami, would you please take their bags to their room?"

"Certainly, my lady." Ami declared, taking the two duffle bags from them.

"Thank you." Rin said. Ami smiled gracefully and headed up the stairs. "Now then," Rin continued, returning her gaze to Logan and Jubilee. "this way."

* * *

**A couple **of minutes later, Rin ushered them in to Sesshoumaru's office. Sesshoumaru stood and offered his mate his chair, as Jubilee took the available one beside Kagome. It didn't take long for them to inform Wolverine and Jubilee of what they'd deduced.

Before Logan could nod in agreement with Sesshoumaru's statement, someone knocked on the door again. "Enter." Sesshoumaru called. Jaken immediately stumbled into the room and walked closer to his lord.

"Milord, Hiryu has captured the spy. He wants to know if he should bring him here, or if you would rather meet him elsewhere. He wanted to warn you that he believes the man to be dangerous."

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed marginally as he took a moment to reply. Finally, he said, "Very well. Instruct Hiryu to teleport the man to the sub-level. I shall meet him there."

"Aye, milord!" Jaken squawked, spinning around and shuffling quickly out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

All eyes turned back to Sesshoumaru in silent question. Sesshoumaru looked down and locked eyes with his wife. "We shall return shortly." She nodded in understanding. Then he looked over at his brother. "Are you coming, Inuyasha?"

"Keh, like you have to ask." Then he, too, shifted his gaze. "Wait here, Kagome."

Kagome sighed. "Ok, I will."

Logan looked over to Sesshoumaru. "Mind if we come with you?"

"No, I was going to suggest as much myself."

"Good." And then they walked out of the room, Sesshoumaru shutting the door behind him. Kagome and Rin exchanged glances and gave each other knowing smiles.

* * *

**It took **barely three minutes for the small group to descend the back staircase and enter the basement. At the bottom of the stairs was another, thicker door. Sesshoumaru produced a key and unlocked it before stepping inside. He shut the door again after Jubilee had passed through. The room before them was very old; it looked as though it hadn't been used in years. There were two cells, both of which reminded Jubilee of slightly out-of-date jail cells. _Which is probably what they are._ She thought wryly.

Hiryu was standing in the first one, clawed hand wrapped securely around another man's throat, while his other hand held the man's two wrists behind his back. He had the man, who was dressed in classic, black, ninja attire, pinned against the side wall. The man's head was facing the opening of the cell, where Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Wolverine, and Jubilee were standing.

"State your name." Sesshoumaru declared, automatically taking charge of the interrogation.

"Go to hell, you damned dog!" The man choked out angrily. Hiryu's hand tightened in warning.

"He asked you a question. Answer it." Hiryu growled in the man's ear. The man made a pathetic attempt to kick at his captor, but Hiryu just shoved him harder against the wall. "Answer it, or I start cutting."

"Then cut." Hiryu glanced at Sesshoumaru, who nodded once in return. Then he shoved his knee into the man's back and released one wrist, while digging the claws of his hand into the man's still-bound wrist. Blood began dripping down the man's clenched fist, first slowly, then at a steady pace. The man wiggled, trying to loosen Hiryu's hold, but succeeded only in pushing the demon's claws in further. He screamed. "Ok, ok! My name is Takashi Shiro!" Hiryu relaxed his hold and recaptured the other wrist.

"Takashi, who do you work for?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly.

"The Hand." Takashi spat.

"Why were you hiding in my Eastern Courtyard?"

"I was ordered to watch you."

"By whom?"

"Viper."

"And what did Viper hope to achieve by having you watch me?"

"Not **_you_**, the Fang. And she told me to report back on the status of the Wolverine by sunset."

"Did she? Did she tell you why?"

"Something about a trap; which I imagine you've already figured out, since you're not trying to kill each other."

"Did Viper expect us to destroy him? Or him to destroy us?"

"She was hoping for both; but said she'd be surprised if your people succeeded in killing him."

"And what is she planning to do now?"

"You should've asked that question first, demon." Takashi Shiro snarled a moment before Hiryu cursed and leapt backwards from him. Then Takashi exploded into a cloud of green smoke.

* * *

**Logan growled** as the smoke dissipated. "I'm a little surprised ya got that much outta him. Hand agents usually self-destruct long before interrogation can begin."

"We have been fighting the Hand for a long time. We have learned how to keep them from sacrificing themselves for a short while. Unfortunately, as they are well trained, it is impossible to prevent entirely." Sesshoumaru replied calmly, turning back towards the door. "Still, we know now that we will not have the element of surprise."

"With any luck, she'll send in another one, and we'll get him to spill something a bit more valuable than what that guy said." Inuyasha added, crossing his arms and following his brother out of the room. Wolverine and Jubilee followed silently, and Hiryu teleported himself out as well.

* * *

**Hiryu was** waiting by the outer door when the others finished climbing the stairs. He waited until the door had once again been shut and locked before speaking. "My lord, what are your orders?"

"Increase the guards around the perimeter. I do not want to be caught unawares by any Hand affiliates. Notify me or Inuyasha immediately if anything unusual is detected." Sesshoumaru declared.

Hiryu nodded. "Consider it done, my lord." And then he disappeared, presumably to increase the guard.

"Do you expect to find any more spies?" Logan asked as they began the short walk to Sesshoumaru's office once again.

"It is possible. It is equally possible that Viper will order an attack. She has done so in the past. We must be prepared to deal with either scenario."

"Makes sense."

* * *

**Within two** minutes, they had returned to their destination. Sesshoumaru opened the door and they all stepped inside before he shut it again. Behind the desk, Rin stood, an expression of worry on her face. "Sesshoumaru…" she began.

He raised a delicate eyebrow in question. "What is it?"

"Viper called." Silence descended upon the group, and Rin shifted her gaze to meet Logan's. "She says she wants you to call her. She has a message for you."

"What kind o' message?" He asked, knowing what she would say.

"Her exact words were 'Tell Wolverine to call me immediately.' She didn't say more than that." When Rin was done, the room was silent. Sesshoumaru moved quickly to stand beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and allowing her to lean her head on his shoulder.

After a moment, all eyes turned to Logan, who had yet to say anything more. Jubilee moved to stand beside him, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. "Wolvie? Are you gonna call her?"

"Don't really have a choice, do I, darlin'?" He asked rhetorically. Then he moved swiftly forward, glancing at Sesshoumaru, who nodded, and then dialed the number he knew would lead to Viper.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** Well, it seems to me that this story is moving along nicely. I hope it's not going too slow for you; I'm writing it this way on purpose, believe it or not! Anyway, I hoped you liked this latest installment! Don't forget to review!


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N:_** Here's chapter 3! I do hope you all find it a good one! Oh, and the standard apologies for OOCness still apply, as do standard apologies for probable inaccuracies in X-Men things. This is how it works for the story, so if/when it disagrees with a comic, please forgive me. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the X-Men. I **_do_** still own any/all children that make random appearances, as well as the servants/guards. Hopefully, you'll be able to tell the difference.

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Chapter 3:**

**The phone** rang three times before someone, not Viper, answered it **"Hello?"** The voice was mechanical; the speech undoubtedly rehearsed.

"Put me through to Viper." Logan snapped, in no mood to be gentle.

There was a pregnant pause, and then the man replied, **"I'm sorry, sir, but you must have the wrong number."**

Logan had to suppress the growl. "Cut the crap, bub. Tell Viper that Wolverine's on the phone. Otherwise, I'll be breathin' down yer throat before you have time to sound any alarm."

The man recovered quickly. **"The Wolverine? Very well, I'll pass along your message. Hold."** There was a shuffling sound as the phone was put down and Logan could hear voices, thanks in part to his mutant hearing, and then the phone was picked up again. **"I'm patching you through now, sir."** A brief ringing followed, and then the subtle click of the line being answered.

"**Wolverine, so good of you to call. I take it Lady Rin delivered my message?"** Viper's voice was smooth, confident. And irritating.

"Yeah, I got the message. What do you want?"

"**Simply to let you know what the price is for your failure."**

"What, exactly, did I fail?"

"**I wanted you to destroy those irksome demons. You did not. But that is no matter; either way, I win in the end."** She was silent a moment, letting him chew on what she'd said. Eventually, she continued. **"As you may or may not have deduced, **_I_** have your friend, Yukio. And yes, I instructed her to call you and lie about her location."**

"Tell me somethin' I don't know." He snapped, his patience thinning. "Like **_where_** she is. Or what the hell you want from me this time."

Viper chuckled cruelly before responding. **"So demanding. She is with me, Logan. And no, I will not tell you where I am. If you can figure that out, then you may stand a chance of saving her. I shall give you until the end of the week. If you have not found me by then, she dies. Good luck."** And then she hung up, giving him no chance to threaten her.

* * *

**Logan growled **as he slammed down the phone angrily. He knew that, with their hearing, both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had heard every word Viper had said to him. He also knew that it would be hell to try and track down the elusive assassin before the end of the week. It was already Tuesday.

"Wolvie?" Jubilee whispered, recognizing his anger. She walked over to him and again placed a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. After a moment, one of his calloused hands landed lightly on her smaller one and he met her gaze.

"I'm ok, Jubes."

"So, what did she say?" Jubilee asked as she withdrew her hand. _Whatever it is, judging from the look on his face, it isn't good. I hope Yukio's ok._

Logan paused, regaining control of his temper. Then he replied, "She said she's got Yukio. And she's giving me to the end of the week to find her. Or else she'll kill her."

Kagome gasped and Jubilee's eyes widened. "Does she mean Friday or Saturday?"

"She didn't say. Usually she goes by the full week; so Saturday. I'd rather not risk it, though. But you know as well as I do that it ain't easy to track Viper down unless she wants to be found. And based on how bad she wants Yukio dead, I'd say she doesn't wanna be found."

"That doesn't mean we won't find her. We've found her before, after all. And we can do it again." Jubilee encouraged, a look of determination in her eyes.

"Not by standin' around here, we can't."

"You have our assistance in your search. Our resources are at your disposal. We have many demons employed who are expert trackers and can work quickly." Sesshoumaru stated from his spot behind the desk.

Logan looked over at him. "That'd be nice. But I ain't got anything with her scent on it, so they'd have to look somewhere else for that."

"Keh. All our trackers already know Viper's scent. She's head of the Hand. It's protocol. Hell, **_I_** know Viper's scent." Inuyasha replied bluntly.

"In addition to that fact, they are also outfitted with other methods of tracking besides that of just scent. Each is skilled in their area of expertise, and they can be ready to go within the hour." Sesshoumaru added.

Logan nodded. "Then let's do it."

* * *

**Wolverine and** Jubilee were both back in their room, waiting with nothing else to do while Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha briefed the trackers. Jubilee sat silently on the bed, elbows on knees and chin in hands as she watched Logan pace the room. She knew he was fuming inside, probably barely containing his anger. She also knew that there really wasn't anything she could do to help him this time. She sighed.

_Oh, Wolvie. I wish I could do more. I'll be able to help once we find Viper, but until then all I'm good for is moral support. This totally sucks. I really wish Viper was just pulling our legs this time, but oooohhhh no, not her. She just had to go and kidnap Yukio. And Scott is so not going to like hearing that we won't be back for a while. Speaking of which, why hasn't he already called? I mean, granted Wolvie tends to run off randomly all the time, but I hardly ever get to go along anymore. And he's always saying Wolvie shouldn't run off like that, but then he doesn't call? That man makes no sense half the time._ Refocusing her attention, she noticed, unsurprised, that Logan was still pacing liked a caged animal. She glanced at the clock. He'd been pacing for nearly ten minutes now.

"Wolvie, you're doin' the pacing thing again. It's been ten minutes already, and you're not gonna get anywhere like that."

Logan looked over at her, stopping three feet from the couch he'd slept on the night before. "Yer a hypocrite, darlin'. Whenever you've got something buggin' ya, pacin's alright, but if it's someone else, like me, it drives ya nuts."

Jubilee grinned teasingly. "Picked up on that, didja?"

"Years ago." Logan replied easily, turning to continue his pacing when a shrill ringing caught their attention. Jubilee let out a startled yelp before realizing what it was. Logan grumbled something about poor timing and stalked over to his duffle bag, yanking the zipper back.

Thirty seconds later, he finally silenced the annoying, though effective, sound. "What?" He snapped into the small communication device.

"**Wolverine, where are you?"** Cyclops' commanding tone was definitely not a welcome intrusion at the moment.

"Japan. An' I'm gonna be here for a few more days, prob'ly over a week. So you'll have to deal with it."

"**Is Jubilee with you?"**

"Yeah, she's right here."

"**Why'd you take her with you on this one? And why didn't you **_tell_** anyone?"**

"When do I ever tell anyone? And it's Jubilee we're talkin' about, Cyke. She didn't give me a choice."

"Hey! I'm right here, y'know! I can hear what you're saying!" Jubilee shouted, inwardly hoping she hadn't jinxed them when she'd realized that Scott hadn't called yet.

"**What's going on this time, Logan?"** Scott's voice was surprising calmer this time.

"The Hand, what else? Look, I can deal with it, One-Eye, don't get your knickers in a twist."

The X-Men's team leader let out a loud sigh that Jubilee could see perfectly in her mind's eye. **"Fine. But call if you need anything, Logan. I'm serious. We're a team, and we will come help if you need it."**

"Nah, I got demons this time. Thanks anyway, Summers."

"**Demons?"** Scott asked, a second before Wolverine hung up on him. Jubilee burst out laughing.

"Let him chew on that fer a while." Logan said, allowing a small grin to cross his face briefly.

_Same old Wolvie._ Jubilee thought. _Still, it's good that he can still make fun of Cyke like that. Then again, if he'd been unable to think of an insult for our fearless leader, I'd have been a bit worried. Well, more than I already am._

Any further contemplation was forever stalled with a knock on their door. Logan was at the door before Jubilee could get to her feet. He yanked it open as she crossed the distance from the bed to the door.

* * *

**Kagome stood** on the other side, a small smile on her face. "Hi. I came to see how you're holding up."

Logan grunted an indifferent answer and stepped aside, allowing the priestess into the room. Jubilee returned to her perch on the bed. Kagome Taisho stepped into the room and crossed over to sit beside Jubilee. Logan shut the door again and finally claimed a seat on the couch.

"How much longer?" He rumbled, a hint of impatience in his voice.

Kagome sighed with understanding. "I'm not sure. I don't imagine it'll be too much longer; Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru don't usually drag these things out any more than they have to."

Logan said nothing in response, his eyes unfocused as his mind wandered. Sensing he wouldn't mind a change of topic, Jubilee turned to Kagome curiously.

"I've got a question that is so none of my business." She stated bluntly.

Kagome smiled, her eyes laughing. "Ok, then let's here it."

"Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's older brother, right?" She paused long enough for Kagome to nod before plunging ahead. "And this is Sesshoumaru's house, correct?" Again, Kagome nodded. "So, why do you and Inuyasha live here? I mean, doesn't it seem sort of odd to live with your husband's --I assume he's your husband-- older brother?"

Kagome gave it a valiant effort, but she just couldn't contain her laughter at her friend's question. She took about thirty seconds to contain herself enough to answer. "I'm sorry, but…well, you have a good point. But Inuyasha and I don't **_live_** here. We have a room here for when we need it, like now. You see, our house is being renovated. So we opted to stay here until its ready. And yes, Inuyasha is my husband. Though he uses the word 'mate', because we're mates, as well. We did officially get married, though. Any other questions?"

"If you don't live here, which makes perfect sense, then why does your daughter live here? Or doesn't she?"

"Chikara? Oh no. She's taking classes at Tokyo U. to become a history professor, and because it's summer, she's out of school for a short while. Usually she stays with us, but because we're here, she opted to stay here, too. For part of the summer. She only just got back from visiting Ken over in London."

"Ken?"

"He's our oldest son."

Jubilee paused, thinking, then asked, "So I assume that Sesshoumaru and Rin have more than three children, as well?"

Kagome nodded. "Way more. They've been mated for just about 500 years, most of which were before birth control was invented. Their oldest daughter, Rika, lives in Italy with her mate and their pups."

"'Pups'?" Jubilee repeated.

"Children. You'll have to forgive me; I've been mated to a half-dog demon for 500 years, so I've picked up some of the terms."

"That's cool, I just wanted to be sure I understood it. Soooo, how many kids do you have, anyway?"

* * *

**"Currently ten**." Inuyasha's voice stated as he let himself into the room. All eyes turned to him automatically, and Kagome stood, walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned against him while he spoke. His arm descended around her waist reflexively. "The trackers just left. If Viper's anywhere in the country, we'll know by this time tomorrow."

"You sure they're that good?" Logan asked, on his feet again.

"They've had centuries of practice; they're up to the task. But until we know more, there's nothing **_we_** can do. Though if you want to try tracking her down on your own, we'll understand."

"I was thinkin' about headin' over to Yukio's apartment and seein' what I could put together from there. You got my number in case one o' yer guys finds somethin'?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, we've got it. Do you have ours?"

"I do." Jubilee stated, coming to stand up beside Logan.

Inuyasha met Wolverine's gaze steadily, remaining silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "Call if anything comes up. We'll do the same. If you don't turn anything up, will you be coming back, or waiting there?"

"We'll be back either way, I imagine."

"Alright. Good luck, then."

Logan nodded sharply and Inuyasha stepped aside for Logan to pass by. Jubilee smiled at Kagome quickly before hurrying to run after her partner in crime. Inuyasha and Kagome watched them go silently.

* * *

**Five minutes** later, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome were back in Sesshoumaru's office. Rin was out checking on Karu and his babysitter, Anna.

Kagome sat in one of the guest chairs with her hands folded in her lap, her eyes downcast. "I hope we find something. I'd feel horrible if we weren't able to help them; especially after all they did for us."

Inuyasha pushed off of the wall and walked over, pulling her out of the chair as he sat down before tugging her down onto his lap. His arms wrapped securely around her waist, he said firmly, "We will find Viper, and we'll do everything we can to help 'em take her down. Quit worryin' so much."

"I know; you're right." She whispered, leaning her head against his strong shoulders and letting her eyes drift shut. It was then that the door to the office crashed open without warning, slamming loudly against the wall and effectively grabbing the attention of all three occupants of the room.

* * *

**Rin ran** into her mate's office without paying attention to those who stopped and stared in confusion. She hadn't made it two feet into the office when Sesshoumaru was up and by her side, pulling her tight against him. "Rin, what is it? What is wrong?"

Behind him, both Inuyasha and Kagome had also stood, varying expressions of worry on their faces. Rin hardly ever behaved like this.

"It-it's Karu….He's-he's been kidnapped!" She sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she burrowed into Sesshoumaru. His arms tightened around her and he lowered his head to gently nuzzle the side of her face. Kagome let out a startled gasp and clung tighter to Inuyasha. The room was silent for a long moment, save for the sounds of Rin's sobbing.

Eventually, she pulled herself together enough to finish saying what she knew. Taking a deep, unsteady breath, she pulled back slightly and met Sesshoumaru's steady gaze. "I found Anna outside, unconscious. I called for a guard, and by the time he arrived, she had managed to regain consciousness. She said…she said it was an agent of Hand that attacked her and took…took Karu." Her tears returned again and she didn't fight them, allowing Sesshoumaru to hold her close.

Kagome's own tears began to blur her vision, and she followed Rin's lead, burying her face in her husband's chest. Inuyasha held her close, a low growl escaping his throat that almost matched that of Sesshoumaru's. After a pause, the two half-brothers met each others gaze, and gave a curt nod. The Hand would pay for threatening their family.

* * *

**While all **this was going on, Logan and Jubilee arrived at Yukio's apartment. Parking the bike in the building's parking lot for all to see, they swung off and calmly walked up to the building. A couple of minutes later, Logan successfully picked the lock and entered the apartment. Jubilee followed quickly and shut the door behind her. Logan immediately scented his friend's home and was reassured that no one else was there. Nodding back to Jubilee, he moved towards the left side of the apartment, and she headed right.

Together they scoured the apartment with silent efficiency. After a good half an hour of digging and snooping and sniffing (on Wolverine's part), they had found no good leads. Since Jubilee's half of the apartment was smaller than Logan's, she was done first. She flopped, defeated, onto Yukio's couch with a sigh. _Nothing. I found nada, zip, zilch. For cryin' out loud, this is ridiculous! Shouldn't there be something?_ From her spot on the couch, she could see Logan finishing up in the guest bedroom. She sighed again as her thoughts wandered some more. _Even if we find Viper before the week is up, there's no guarantee that Yukio will be alive. Viper's not exactly known for honesty. And if that's true, what will you do, Wolvie? I know you and Yukio have been close for years…and I know it'll tear you apart if she's killed. So we have to do what we can to keep that from happening…if there's anything we _**can**_ do._

Her thoughts were interrupted when the 5'3" Canadian mutant sank onto the sofa beside her. She shifted her attention back to him, saying nothing. After a moment, he turned his head slightly and looked over at her.

"You find anything, Jubes?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You?"

"Nope. Not even an out-of-place scent. Damned assassins." He growled that last part, his fists clenching subconsciously. After another silent moment, he stood. "C'mon, let's go, Jubilee. There's nothin' else to see here."

"Right." She complied, following him out of the apartment and back down to the bike. Before too long, they were back on their way to the Taisho Mansion. _With a little luck, they've heard something._ She thought fleetingly.

* * *

**Logan and **Jubilee hoped off the bike just as a small convertible pulled into the spot beside them. There was a flash of light and then they recognized Chikara climbing out of the car. She glanced over and flashed a grin at them, the resemblance to her father almost painfully apparent. "Hey." She said as she joined them on the short walk to the main building. She reached the door first, punched in a code, and held it open for them before following inside.

Various maids and other servants were running around the house, and no one seemed to notice their entrance. Logan raised a curious eyebrow. "What's goin' on 'round here?"

Chikara's voice was grim when she spoke. "Family emergency. I got a call from Mom earlier, and all she said was that she wanted me to come back ASAP." She paused, lifting her nose to the air and inhaling deeply. Then she said, "They're this way."

Jubilee and Logan fell in behind the young woman as she expertly navigated the various hallways and corridors, climbing two staircases and walking at a steady pace toward the open near the end of the hall. As they neared the room, Logan could suddenly detect the distinct scents of worry, anger and distress. Something was wrong.

* * *

**Chikara reached** the room first and went straight to her parents. "What's going on?" She asked upon seeing her mother's red eyes. Glancing around, she saw her aunt sitting on her youngest cousin's bed, clutching his favorite pillow. She returned her attention to her parents, this time focusing on her father. "Did something happen to Karu?"

Logan looked over to Sesshoumaru, who stood next to his wife, though he was talking to someone who was obviously a guard. After a moment, the guard nodded and bowed before turning and ushering himself out of the room. Sesshoumaru met Logan's gaze. "The Hand has kidnapped my son."

A hand flew to Jubilee's mouth as she quickly moved to sit beside Rin on the bed, and Logan asked, "How long ago was he taken?"

"Rin discovered his babysitter unconscious an hour and a half ago. Our best estimates put the kidnapping at just before Rin discovered Anna."

As Sesshoumaru's words left his mouth, the twins Tai and Matt raced into the room. Matt held out a torn piece of cloth and Tai took Jubilee's spot beside Rin as Jubilee herself returned to Logan's side.

"We found this near where Mom said she found Anna. Neither of us recognize the scent, and there's blood. Same scent." Matt explained as his father took the black fabric in one clawed hand.

Without looking at his son, Sesshoumaru asked, "How much blood?"

"Not too much. Enough for us to notice, but if we hadn't smelled it, I doubt we'd have seen it."

"And this is the only clue you were able to obtain?"

"Yeah. Tai and I tracked the scent all the way off the property, but then it just…vanishes."

"And you're certain the kidnapper did not use a vehicle?"

"Of course I'm certain. We can track cars, remember? Besides, we talked to the three homeowners nearest the spot, and no one saw anything. Of course, they might not have been paying attention."

Sesshoumaru growled something low and dangerous under his breath, clenching the torn fabric tightly in his fist. Finally, he met Matt's gaze. "Thank you, Son."

"Hey, he's our brother. And he's only a pup; of course we're going to do what we can."

* * *

**Two hours** later, no further progress had been made. The property had been searched thoroughly, inside and out, and there was no sign of anything. No trail to follow.

As the last of the scouts made a hasty exit, after having to give Sesshoumaru the bad news, Jubilee looked out the living room window and noticed, with a sick feeling in her stomach, that the sun was setting. _Tuesday's almost gone. And then it'll be Wednesday, and then…oh, please, God, let us find Karu. As important as it is to find Yukio, she's at least able to take care of herself. I mean, she likes to jump off of roof-tops for fun. But Karu's just a kid. And I'd like to think that even Viper wouldn't stoop so low, but I think she just might._

At that moment, Ami the pink-haired maid swept in and took orders for various drinks (Jubilee wasn't surprised when Logan asked for a beer), and then she turned to head back to the spacious kitchen. Hating the restlessness that was beginning to sink into her bones, Jubilee jumped up and followed her.

"May I help you, ma'am?" Ami asked curiously.

Jubilee grinned and shook her head. "Nope, I've decided to help you. That's a lot of drinks, and it's kinda hard to carry 'em all. So I'm lending the use of my hands."

"Oh, no, you don't need to do that!"

"I know; I want to."

Ami hesitated, then nodded. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't refuse your generous offer. Follow me, then." And she led the way into the kitchen.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** So, did you like it? If so, please let me know! Otherwise, well, keep your eyes open for the next one!


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N:_** Heeerrreee's chapter 4! LOL. Anyway, I can't think of anything new to say here, so, uh, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha, or the X-Men. Only the children and guards and most of the servants, etc. Now that that's been cleared up…

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Chapter 4:**

**Jubilee followed** Ami into the oversized kitchen and fought the urge to whistle despite the circumstances. _This kitchen is bigger than Charley's…and that kitchen's pretty big._ She silenced her mental ramblings when she saw Ami stiffen in front of her.

"Ami?" She asked, peering around the petite woman. It didn't take her long to spot the reason for Ami's discomfort. There was a man, about five foot six, dressed head-to-toe in black, spinning a Chinese throwing star around his fingers. _It's Gambit-the-Ninja._ She thought absently.

"Wh-who are you?" Ami stuttered.

The man's eyes conveyed his hidden sneer. "A messenger for Lady Viper." Ami's eyes rolled into her head and she collapsed, out cold, on the kitchen floor. The eyes glinted maliciously. "Demons used to be made of sterner stuff, no?"

Jubilee's eyes narrowed angrily. "You've got a message from Viper?"

The man paused, then pushed off from the counter he was leaning against. "I do. And I intend to deliver it."

"So deliver it."

She could see the smirk in his eyes as a second throwing star joined the first. "Oh, I shall. I shall deliver it with your corpse, mutant."

Knowing that was all the warning this guy was likely to give, Jubilee decided to beat him to the proverbial punch. She flicked her wrists in his direction, sending a torrent of bright, multi-colored plasma balls toward the assassin. She managed to catch him unawares, and he slammed into the counter. Hard.

* * *

**The group **in the living room had been more or less silent, each lost in their own thoughts. From his vantage point, Logan was the first to see the flash of neon pink, blue and green in the kitchen. He launched out of his chair with a speed born from years of combat. "Jubilee!" Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Tai were right behind him. Matt and Chikara opted to stay behind with Rin.

Wolverine made it in first, claws extended in preparation. He saw Jubilee dodge a throwing star, and he shot his fist out, slicing the star to pieces. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru had the assassin pinned against the kitchen wall, one clawed hand wrapped around his throat, the other hovering just over the assassin's heart, outlined in poisonous green.

"Who are you and what is your purpose here?" He growled, his voice roughed by anger.

"Viper instructed me to deliver a message. Your son is safe, for the moment. He is with her."

"**_Why_** did you take him!" Sesshoumaru demanded, his anger not dissipating.

The assassin showed no fear. "She ordered his capture because you are helping her enemy. If you withdraw your support for these mutants, she will return your son unharmed."

Jubilee cut a glance to Wolverine, her eyes asking her question for her. _Are we really to blame? D'you think Viper'd give him back if we left?_ Logan shook his head, shifting his gaze back to the assassin. He was about to tell Sesshoumaru that the ninja was lying when Inuyasha broke in. His voice was as close to feral as Sesshoumaru's.

"Quit lying, you bastard! Viper may have him, but she has no intention to release him if we stop helping them."

The assassin's eyes shifted to Inuyasha's. "I cannot say what she'll do for certain. I can only deliver the message, half-breed."

"Where is my son?" Sesshoumaru growled, once again grasping the intruder's attention.

"With Viper. That is all I'm permitted to tell you. Oh, and Wolverine: Friday at midnight." And then, in a cloud of green smoke, the assassin was gone.

* * *

**Sesshoumaru straightened** and clenched his fists angrily. Slowly, the green outline faded, and his fists relaxed. There was a distinct _snakt_ of Logan's claws returning to their housings in his forearms. As Sesshoumaru turned around, Logan looked up at him. "I apologize for this. Viper may've only used us as an excuse, but we're still the reason she stooped like that."

"Nonsense. The Fang have been enemies with the Hand for decades. And I have the distinct feeling that your assistance will be crucial in this battle." Then Sesshoumaru walked past them, out of the kitchen. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Tai followed quietly. Kagome slipped her hand into Inuyasha's and squeezed reassuringly. He returned the gesture before releasing her hand and slipping his arm around her instead.

Logan turned to Jubilee and met her gaze. "You ok?" He asked softly. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Ami passed out, though." Then she knelt beside the maid, who was just starting to stir. "Ami? You ok?"

Ami moaned a bit, slowly blinking her eyes into focus. Then she replied, "I believe so. What happened?"

"We dealt with the ninja, and now he's gone."

"Oh. Is Lord Sesshoumaru angry with me?"

Jubilee shook her head. "I highly doubt it. He was pretty pissed at the assassin, though." She paused, watching Ami rub her head absently as she stood. "Maybe you should go and get some sleep. I don't think anyone's thirsty anymore."

Ami looked over at her, then nodded. "Perhaps you are correct."

"Well, of course I am." Jubilee teased. Ami smiled a bit, then turned and slowly walked out of a side door. Then Jubilee followed Logan out of the kitchen, and back into the living room.

* * *

**It wasn't** too much after that that the group decided it was too late to do anymore that evening. So they all turned in for the night. Sesshoumaru guided Rin to their room silently, holding the door open for her as she slipped past and pulled her nightgown out of their dresser. He shut and locked the door behind him before he peeled his own shirt over his head.

Soon they were both dressed for bed, and Sesshoumaru slid in beside his mate, not at all surprised when she curled against him. He could still detect traces of salt in the air, and knew she was still trying not to cry. Though he didn't blame her.

Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her onto his lap, where she snuggled into him and he rested his chin on the crown of her head. He held her tightly, inwardly cursing Viper every word he could think of for causing his mate such pain, and for kidnapping his youngest son._ She will not get away with this. It is unforgivable. She poses a direct threat to my family, and as soon as my son is out of her grasp, I will end that threat. Permanently. And anyone who attempts to stop me will feel my wrath._

Rin's voice cut through his murderous thoughts with ease. "Sesshoumaru…we will find him, won't we?"

"Yes, beloved. We will find him. And we will rescue him."

"Are you planning to kill Viper?"

"Yes."

Rin was silent a moment, and when she finally spoke again, her voice was even softer. If not for his demonic hearing, he wouldn't have heard her. "Good."

"He will be alright, my love. That I swear."

"I know. I know you are right, and that our son will be fine, but I can't…I can't avoid worrying. He's so young. And she's…she's crazy. She's always frightened me."

"I am aware of this. And I understand." He rolled them both over then, pinning her beneath his body. She looked up at him, tears still lining her very red eyes, and at that moment, he would have slain a thousand demons to keep that look from entering her eyes.

Instinctively, he dipped his head down and captured her lips with his own, running his tongue over them in the instant before she parted them for him. Their tongues danced for a moment before he delved deeper, exploring all the familiar crevices in her mouth. Again, their tongues met and danced a bit before he forced himself to pull back. Rin's breath came ragged beneath him, and he smiled down at her. "Always remember, Rin, I love you. And I will not allow any harm to come to you or a member of our family."

Rin nodded, finally allowing a smile to cross her delicate face. "And I love you." He leaned down and kissed her passionately again for a moment before rolling back onto his back, taking her with him. As she tucked her head under his chin, she murmured, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

* * *

**Jubilee decided** to indulge in a shower to cheer herself up. It didn't work as much as she'd hoped. The shower took a record twenty minutes, and then she changed into her pajama pants and shirt before exiting the bathroom. She wasn't surprised to see Logan sitting on the couch, wide awake. He was leaning forward, elbows on knees, his chin supported by his thumbs while his fingers were laced in front of him.

With a soft sigh, she changed course and plopped down beside him. Without hesitation, she leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. After a moment, she felt the tension in his muscles ease and he leaned back, looping an arm around her in return.

"It'll work out, Wolvie. We'll find Viper and save Yukio and Karu, you'll see."

"Wish I had yer confidence, Jubes. But I've got a real bad feelin' about this one."

Jubilee was silent a moment, and then she said softly, "I know, me too. But confidence is the key, right?"

Logan chuckled, though the humor was mostly forced. "Yeah, confidence is pretty useful." He paused, as if searching for something, then spoke again. "Jubilee?"

"Yeah?"

"…Thanks for comin' with me on this, darlin'."

Jubilee was silent, caught off-guard by his statement. Then she said, "You're welcome, Logan." Not knowing what else to say, she remained silent and held tightly to him. He didn't seem to mind, however, as he tightened his own grip on her small waist.

* * *

**They stayed** like that for while, and eventually Jubilee began to drift to sleep, despite her best efforts not to. Logan noticed her breathing becoming slow and even, and he waited only long enough to be sure that she was soundly asleep. Then he scooped her effortlessly into his arms and carried her to the king sized bed and deposited her gently onto it. Then he pulled the thick comforter up and tucked it around her shoulders. She murmured something incoherent and rolled onto her side, facing him. She was still sound asleep.

Logan stepped back and then retraced his steps to the couch, lying down at angle where he could see Jubilee without having to crane his neck uncomfortably. He grabbed the blanket that was thrown over the back of the couch and shifted slightly until he was comfortable. Something told him it was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Wednesday morning** found the group in the kitchen, silently eating breakfast, when Jaken ran inside, breathing heavily. Everyone looked up, but only Sesshoumaru spoke. "What is it, Jaken?"

"Milord, the scouts have returned. They are awaiting you in the conference room."

Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Wolverine stood simultaneously. Rin, Kagome, and Jubilee followed them out of the room, their breakfast completely forgotten. As soon as they were out of the kitchen, two maids swept in and cleaned up the remains of the meal.

* * *

**Jaken lead** the way to the conference room, which was located on the second floor. When he reached the large door, the guard stationed there automatically held the door open for them. Jaken shuffled to the side, allowing the others to pass. He barely managed to slip inside the room before the guard pulled the door shut again.

The scouts were assembled on the far right side of the rectangular table, patiently awaiting their boss and his guests. When Sesshoumaru and the others strode into the room, they all snapped to attention, resembling the soldiers that they were no doubt trained to be.

Logan and Jubilee stepped to the back, understanding that it wasn't their place to interrogate the demons. Kagome stepped up beside Inuyasha, looping an arm through his, while he crossed his arms across his chest. Rin, too, stepped up beside her husband, but she stood slightly behind him with her hands clasped in front of her gracefully.

Sesshoumaru broke the brief silence. "Those of you who found nothing are free to leave. If you found something, however small, remain here." There was a slight outbreak of shuffling at his words, and seven of the ten scouts silently filed out of the room. Only Hiryu, Amara, and a wolf demon named Kenichi (who also happened to be a nephew of Kouga's) remained. Sesshoumaru shifted his gaze to Kenichi first. "What did you find?"

"I searched Viper's Northern residence thoroughly, Lord Sesshoumaru. At first, it seemed as though there was nothing to indicate her current location, however I found a message that had been torn apart and tossed into the garbage. On it were coordinates and the words 'it's ready.' When I was done in the house, I decided to investigate the location. It was a building that the city has condemned, and Viper's scent was fresh. However, she was gone. But I was also able to detect the scent of Wolverine's friend, Yukio. She'd been there, as well. From what I was able to tell, they'd been there as early as yesterday morning." When he was done, Kenichi stood still, waiting for further instructions.

Inuyasha spoke. "She must've called here from there, then scraped the place afterwards."

"Agreed. Have you anything else, Kenichi?" Sesshoumaru asked. The young wolf demon shook his head.

"No, my lord."

"Very well, then. Amara."

* * *

**Amara's voice** was hard when she spoke, and Jubilee got the distinct impression that she wasn't a woman (or demon) who often showed emotion. Amara met her lord's gaze solidly. "I found no trail from the woman's home apartment, however I was able to pick up a trail about twenty miles south of the city. It led me to a building that is often rented by Hand members throughout the year. I encountered two agents, and from what I was able to get out of them, it seems only the most important and influential members were privy to Viper's scheme. I acquired the location of one of these members and paid a visit to his home, however I was too late. He had already been slain. The scents in the room verified that it had been someone close to Viper herself, for her scent was faint. Too faint to have been there herself, but I believe that she keeps the assassin with her most times, and therefore her scent lingers on the man. I followed his scent two hours North, however the trail was a dead end. I believe my moves were anticipated. But, from what I gleaned, there is only one other man alive that knows of her exact location."

"Did you get this other guy's name, or his address?" Inuyasha growled.

Amara's gaze shifted briefly to him and she shook her head. "No, Master Inuyasha, I was unable to acquire that information."

"I assume that is all you have to contribute?" Sesshoumaru interrupted. Amara inclined her head respectfully.

"Yes, my lord."

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly and once again shifted his gaze. "Hiryu, tell me what it is you've acquired."

* * *

**The teleporting** demon allowed a small, self-satisfied smirk to grace his lips, one fang slipping into view. "Lord Sesshoumaru, all I have to say is this: I found Viper."

At this news, Logan stepped forward abruptly until he was standing beside Sesshoumaru. "Where?" He demanded.

"She is on a small island to the East. It is approximately two hours -on boat- from the mainland. She is unaware that I know her location. And, milord, both the lady Yukio and young Master Karu are well. For obvious purposes, I did not allow Master Karu to see me. I studied the building intently, and I believe I know what the weaknesses of her 'security' system are." The grin widened a bit. "And they are many."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Thank you, Hiryu. I want you to prepare. You shall accompany us on this mission. Amara, Kenichi, I will leave you and most of the other guards here to protect my family in my absence. Should anything happen to them, I will hold the two of you personally responsible. Are we clear?"

Both former assassins nodded sharply before all three bowed politely and let themselves out. The moment they were gone, Rin stepped closer to Sesshoumaru and slumped against him. All three men could smell the salt in the air. Sesshoumaru brought up one hand and gently rubbed her back as she sobbed softly.

"Please, hurry and save our son. And be careful." Then she took a deep, slightly shaky breath, and stepped back to look into his face. He nodded, his eyes softening as he gazed at her, and dipped his head to steal a kiss. A moment later, they separated, and he released her.

Looking over at his half brother, Sesshoumaru said, "Inuyasha, will you be joining us?"

"Keh. You know I'm comin'. It's about time someone put that witch outta her misery."

"Since Viper's not known for employing demons, I think it'd be best if I stayed here. I can put up a barrier around the house if I have to. Just in case she attacks while you're all away." Kagome stated from beside Inuyasha.

Inuyasha shifted his attention to his other side and locked eyes with her. "Hell no. If it comes down to it, you'll take Rin and the pups into a room on the **_ground floor_** and put a barrier around **_that_**. No way in **_Hell_** are you puttin' one around the entire house. You'd knock yourself out with the strain."

"But-"

"'But' nothing. Anyone else is capable o' takin' care of themselves. I won't have you sacrificing yourself for a bunch o' demon-bodyguards!"

"He's right, Kagome. Besides, I highly doubt it'll come to that, anyway. We'll probably be perfectly fine here." Rin stated, interrupting the argument. Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked over at her.

Kagome sighed. "I know." Then she turned to her husband and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. Rin's right, we'll be fine here. You go and eliminate Viper."

"Damned straight I will." Was all he said before he planted his hands firmly on her waist and lifted her up to his lips. She grasped his shoulders tightly as she returned it with equal fervor. After a moment, he set her down gently. Then he looked over to his brother again, a smirk on his face. "Guess we'd better get ready to go kick some ass again."

* * *

**Ten minutes **later Hiryu, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Wolverine, and Jubilee were ready to go. Rin, Kagome, Chikara, Tai, Matt, and Jaken had gathered to send them off. They were all standing out in the front yard.

Rin kissed Sesshoumaru on the cheek, whispering "Good luck," in his ear before stepping backwards. Tai and Matt came up on either side of her and nodded at their father and uncle. They would be acting as "Lords of the house" in their absence.

Chikara hugged her father briefly, then smiled at her uncle before she, too, stepped back to stand beside her younger cousin. Kagome reached up and tweaked one of his ears gently, and he hauled her against him, claiming her mouth demandingly in a passionate kiss. "Come back to me," She whispered. He smirked and nodded, releasing her.

Kagome turned her attention to her other friends and smiled at them. "You'd better come back, too, alright? And good luck."

"Hey, don't worry about us. We're X-Men; we never stay dead long, anyway." Jubilee joked, returning the smile.

"That's Jean's job, Jubes." Logan added.

"If we are all ready to go, then let us depart. Hiryu, we shall meet you there." Sesshoumaru stated decisively. Hiryu nodded and then vanished from sight. Sesshoumaru shifted his glance sideways, towards his companions. "Behind me, please."

Inuyasha was already in place behind his brother when Logan and Jubilee followed suit. Then they all collectively lifted off the ground on what resembled a cloud. A moment later, as Sesshoumaru directed the cloud eastward, it and everyone on it was consumed by what resembled a ball of light. And then they were gone.

* * *

**Hiryu was **at the island first by about ten seconds, and he crouched, hidden behind a line of bushes on the edge of the island. He didn't show any signs of surprise when Sesshoumaru and the others suddenly landed beside him. Inuyasha quickly leapt into a tree overhead to get a better view of the perimeter. He counted five guards out front, and he figured the back had the same. He could just make out two figures to the southern side of the building, so he estimated a total of fourteen guards outside of the building. Without ever taking his eyes off of the entrance to the building, he whispered, "I'd say we've got 14 outside."

Sesshoumaru's eyes cut over to Hiryu. Inuyasha's voice floated down to them again. "Five out front, means prob'ly five out back, too. Two on either side." Hiryu nodded to Sesshoumaru.

"I'll deal with the back, then."

"Go. We shall meet inside." Then Sesshoumaru returned his gaze outward, though he spoke to his brother. "Allow me, Inuyasha."

"Go for it." Was all the half-demon said. On the ground, Hiryu disappeared again and Sesshoumaru stood, calling upon his demonic speed to take the assassins by surprise. He lifted one clawed hand, which was suddenly glowing green again, and whipped it from his right to his left. A green whip made of poison snapped out and sliced effectively through the five unfortunate Hand agents.

Sounds of footsteps pounding the earth were coming closer from either direction, and Wolverine jumped out of the bushes and ran full-tilt towards one side while Sesshoumaru dashed to the other. Sesshoumaru removed the man's head as Wolverine punctured his own target's heart. Both bodies slumped simultaneously. Behind them, Inuyasha landed gracefully on the ground and Jubilee walked out from behind the bushes calmly.

Sesshoumaru stepped aside and allowed Wolverine to unlock the front door. Wolverine, in turn, slashed his adamantium claws through the brass doorknob with ease. Then he kicked it open and sheathed his claws as he walked inside. Jubilee, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha fell into step behind him.

They hadn't walked five feet into the entry way when the guys stiffened and simultaneously sniffed the air. Having spent many years as Wolverine's sidekick, Jubilee knew this to be a sign of impending danger…which meant a bloody battle was about to ensue. _Gee, now why doesn't that surprise me?_ She thought as she crouched down into a battle-ready crouch that Logan had taught her.

A few seconds later, twenty armed assassins swarmed them, swords, daggers and various other weapons spinning in their able hands. One stepped forward, a makeshift leader, and raised his bo-staff in a silent statement. And then, suddenly, his eyes went wide and his grip slackened. The staff fell, clattering on the ground, and then the man followed. All eyes turned to see Hiryu standing in the entrance to the hallway, one index finger extended. Hiryu met his boss's gaze and said, a grin on his face, "Shall we begin?"

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** Can that be considered a cliff-hanger? I don't really think so, but, hey, that's my opinion. Either way, let me know what you thought, and then read on!


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N:_** Hey! Chapter 5 has arrived! LOL. I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. Oh, and I should warn you…this chapter is sort of…gruesome. It happens when Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Wolverine and a demon assassin start beating on people…but I thought I'd warn you anyway. If you really don't like it…I apologize. I don't mean to offend anyone. That said, please read on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the X-Men…I only own those characters that I made up, as I've listed in previous disclaimers.

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Chapter 5:**

**The assassins** stared, briefly amazed, at the demon who'd just slain their comrade. Then his words sunk in, and they tensed once more in preparation for battle. Currently, there were 19 of them left.

Hiryu didn't need to wait for his lord's approval before leaping into the fray. This was one area where he excelled, and Sesshoumaru was well aware of that. As four of the assassins turned towards him, intent on removing such an obvious threat, he teleported two swords into his hands.

One male assassin lunged at him, his daggers extended in what could have been a fatal blow. Hiryu sidestepped and swung around behind him, ruthlessly bringing his two blades down on the man's head. With his demonic strength, he had no problems slicing the swords through the man's body. Even as his first opponent split apart, Hiryu quickly tossed each sword to the sides, where each managed to slice through two other Hand agent's throats. The fourth, a woman, attempted to deliver a sharp kick to his head. He spun again, grabbed her ankle, and threw her into a wall, before flicking his wrist in her direction. His bullet-like claws flew, impaling her and ending her life almost instantly. Then Hiryu moved on to his next set of opponents, hoping they were more fun than the ones he'd just eliminated.

* * *

**Five more** men swarmed Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. The dog demons allowed the assassins to surround them, putting their backs to each other. One of the men swung his sword towards Sesshoumaru, and the powerful demon scoffed. Then he lunged forward, bypassing the human's sword altogether and wrapped his poison claws around the man's throat. Within a moment, the man was dead.

Another assassin jumped up, thinking to get an advantage in the air as they hauled back and tossed down a flurry of throwing stars. Sesshoumaru spun and slashed through the projectiles, while Inuyasha flexed his claws and aimed up. With a shout of "**_Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!_**" the assassin was dead. But while he was distracted, another one snuck up and slashed him across his chest, drawing blood. Inuyasha grunted, more from surprise than pain, and dipped his claws into the wound. "**_Blades of Blood!_**" Was the last thing that assassin ever heard.

A fourth man came at Sesshoumaru, swinging two double-bladed swords at his side tauntingly. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and raised his right hand calmly. "I do not have the time for you." Was all he said before he sent a wave of poison to the human. His swords crashed noisily to the ground as the man slumped, dead. The final assassin of the group believed he'd won when Sesshoumaru allowed him to slip his dagger around his throat. The man sneered arrogantly in the instant before a sharp kick to his side dislodged his grip and sent him tumbling sideways. Sesshoumaru then flicked his striped wrist towards the fallen assassin and ended his life as well.

* * *

**Wolverine and **Jubilee were facing the final ten assassins. Jubilee smirked. "Guess Viper told 'em about your reputation."

"Appears that way." Wolverine growled with a smirk of his own before popping his claws again. Small sparkles around Jubilee's fists let him know that she was ready, too. With a roar, he lunged toward the nearest two and started slashing. They both had swords, which they swung down towards him, obviously intending to try and impale him. He raised a clawed fist and their swords shattered into pieces. Then he grabbed one, threw him into the other, and impaled them both.

Jubilee paffed the three closest to her, blinding them long enough to let her kick her foot out and trip one, causing him to topple into another. Then she jumped, spun around, and kicked the third one in the face, knocking him backwards and into Logan's circle. When she landed, she felt the rush of air that preceded a sword blade, so she ducked and rolled. The blade cut empty air. Then she lashed out again, this time severely burning her victim. The remaining assassin tackled her to the ground and pinned her hands to her back, palms down. She felt him shift his weight, holding her wrists with one hand while drawing back, undoubtedly to stab her with the dagger she'd seen him carrying.

Then suddenly his pressure was gone and she rolled free, completely unsurprised to see Wolverine withdrawing his claws from the man's chest. Her burn victim lay bleeding a couple of feet away. She sprang to her feet, turning her back to her partner in time to see another one attacking. Leveling her hands, she focused briefly and let the power flow. A second later, the assassin was surrounded by multi-colored plasma balls. Which promptly blew up, taking him with them.

Wolverine leapt forward again, trading blows with two more agents of the Hand, slashing rapidly. These two were more careful, and he had a hard time landing a good blow. Fortunately, they were only focused on him. The woman nearest him gasped aloud in pain as her eyes rolled up in her head. A clawed, faintly glowing, hand was protruding from her chest. It quickly withdrew and she slumped. Logan easily finished off the other one.

That left two assassins to go. And Hiryu quickly dealt with them. One moment, they looked ready to pounce on the group, suicide mission or not, and the next, they both fell forward, weapons sliding from their lifeless hands. Hiryu straightened and sheathed his swords on his back, where he wore two criss-crossed sheaths.

* * *

**Together, the **group turned and looked up at the long, winding staircase before them. It was completely unguarded, now that they'd finished off the last of the guards. Sesshoumaru was about to begin climbing the steps when something unexpected caught their attention.

"**_Dad!_**" A young, familiar voice cried. It came from a room further down the hallway on the ground floor. Sesshoumaru didn't hesitate as he leapt over the banister and flew down the hall. Inuyasha nodded over to Wolverine, holding his hand up to Hiryu, before following his brother, and his nephew's voice.

Hiryu looked over to Wolverine. "I'm going to wait here for Lord Sesshoumaru. We'll join you as soon as Karu's safe." Logan nodded, understanding entirely, and pushed past the demon, starting up the stairs. Jubilee followed quickly.

* * *

**Karu had** tears in his eyes as he sat, bound by steel chains and a dagger that was being held at his throat. The man behind him was easily twice the size of Inuyasha. He was also completely human. Sesshoumaru flew through the door to the room as if it wasn't there. He landed five feet into the room, still ten feet away from his son.

"You will be alright, Karu." He said calmly. His son gave a half-nod, as the dagger was still pressing into his throat threateningly.

Inuyasha came in behind Sesshoumaru, growling. Sesshoumaru locked eyes with the man behind his son, but the man spoke first. "Viper wanted to make sure you saw your precious boy take his final breath." Then he attempted to slit the child's throat.

Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist, wrapping the large man's wrist in his poison whip, before drawing back. The man was forced to release the dagger. Inuyasha took the opportunity and jumped up, over his nephew's chair, and kicked the man. The man tumbled backwards. "Sesshoumaru! Get the pup outta here, an' I'll deal with this creep!"

Sesshoumaru nodded, stepping up to his son. "Hold still a moment, Karu." Then he grasped the chain in both clawed hands and pulled. The metal gave a loud protest before snapping in two. Then Sesshoumaru scooped up his son and exited the room. Barely a minute later, Inuyasha joined them in the hall.

They walked to the stairs, where Hiryu was waiting patiently. Sesshoumaru met the teleporter's gaze. "Take Karu home. This is no place for him. Then return."

"I wanna see Mom." Karu piped up from his father's grasp. Hiryu grinned down to the pup as Sesshoumaru passed him to the demon.

"Then I'll take you to see her. Ready to go home, pup?"

"Yes, Mister Hiryu!" And they were gone.

* * *

**Rin and **Kagome sat in the living room on the couch, Chikara across from them in an overstuffed chair. They had lapsed into silence when Hiryu suddenly appeared. "Delivery, my lady." He stated, putting the young half-demon on the ground. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to go back now."

"Karu!" Rin declared, jumping up and catching her son as he threw himself at her. She collapsed to the ground, crying as she held him tightly. Kagome smiled up at Hiryu.

"Thank you. Go back and help the others now, we're fine here." He nodded before teleporting away. Then Kagome and Chikara joined the mother and her son on the ground, hugging and talking all at once. Tai and Matt came running, having heard their mother's shout.

* * *

**Hiryu returned** and then followed Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha up the stairs. It didn't take them long to find Wolverine and Jubilee, who'd apparently run into a couple more guards. They'd just finished dealing with them when the demons approached.

"Was he ok?" Jubilee asked concernedly.

"Yes." Sesshoumaru said simply. Then they all turned and began walking. It didn't take a genius to figure out which room they were looking for.

* * *

**Viper was** waiting for them when they arrived. She was sitting in an extremely overstuffed black armchair, one leg neatly crossed over the other. She had a laser gun in her lap and a near empty glass of wine in her right hand, which was resting, elbow down, on the arm of the chair. She was wearing her usual, all green uniform. But the most important detail of the room was laying in a crumpled heap about five feet in front of her.

Yukio's body was curled in the fetal position beside the large, elegant, four-poster bed. Even Jubilee could tell that the woman was dead. Most likely, she had been for a while. For a moment, there was silence.

Viper was the one to break it, as she set her now-empty glass down on the small table beside her. She didn't bother getting up. "So sorry, Logan. She got in the way, I'm afraid. I had honestly intended to keep her alive…at least until Friday morning." A sadistic smile curved her poisonous lips. "I had, of course, been intending to kill her all along. She's always been **_such_** a nuisance to me."

Wolverine growled low in his throat, his rage coming dangerously close to consuming him. He crouched low, preparing for the fight he knew was to come. Jubilee stepped up beside him, wordlessly reminding him that, this time, he was not alone.

Inuyasha cut a sideways glance over to his brother, and Sesshoumaru shook his head. "She has been dead too long."

"Damn." Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws once more. Hiryu pulled out one of his swords, leaving his other hand free. Viper's laugh echoed off the walls as she stood, her gun in her hand.

"You intend to fight me, of course. But I should warn you, I am well prepared for this moment. I am not as defenseless as you might believe me to be." Then she snapped her fingers and the wall behind them exploded inward, sending pieces of wood and paneling flying everywhere. It didn't take a genius to know that Viper had used the opportunity to escape once again. But there wasn't much they could do about that just yet.

* * *

**When the **wall exploded, Wolverine reached out and grabbed Jubilee by the arm, yanking her in front of him, where he used his body to shield her from the debris. Beside them, Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist and the green whip snapped outwards, shattering the larger, more dangerous, pieces of the wall. Inuyasha growled low in his throat as the strong scent of multiple demons reached his sensitive nose. _Thought somethin' felt off about all o' this. Damn. On the bright side, I don't have to hold back any more._ He thought, unable to suppress the grin that rose as he realized things were about to get fun.

When the dust cleared, the group was face to face with at least four dozen full-blooded demons. Many of whom barely fit in the now-extended room. They were all snarling and flexing their claws in preparation for the fight to come.

"This is pathetic. Viper expects to delay us with these vermin?" Sesshoumaru said evenly. He looked over at his brother. "You may start off this battle, if you so desire."

Inuyasha smirked. "Don't have to ask me twice. These demons ain't even worth our time!"

"That's what you think, half-breed!" The nearest of them shouted as he lunged for Inuyasha, his own elongated claws pointed outwards. Inuyasha pushed off from the carpeted floor of Viper's former bedroom and grabbed the sword that had been resting at his hip the entire time. With a shout, he unsheathed his favorite weapon and brought the mighty Tetsusaiga down upon the demon's head.

Off to the side, Hiryu simply teleported himself into the middle of the group of demons and began slashing and stabbing, effectively removing a number of opponents.

Sesshoumaru waited patiently as three demons descended upon him, snarling insults and threats in an attempt to frighten him. As they landed, he muttered, "You are not worth my time. Die." And then they fell.

Wolverine ran into the crowd, claws out and on the verge of a berserker rage, and Jubilee ran in behind him, picking off the demons who managed to slip past him. Which weren't many.

* * *

**They'd been** hacking their way through the horde of demons for a few minutes, but it seemed Viper had decided to employ every demon she could find, because they simply never seemed to dwindle. Finally, Sesshoumaru leapt back, out of the battle, and the others pulled away, until the two sides were once again growling at each other. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes angrily and reached over, removing one of his swords from his hip. "I tire of this useless battle." Beside him, Hiryu sheathed his own sword. Inuyasha, meanwhile, lifted the Tetsusaiga off of his shoulder and aimed it once again at the demons.

"On three?" He asked as a joke. As he spoke, his sword glowed and shifted form. Wolverine and Jubilee watched in shock as the sword suddenly looked as if it were made of diamond. Swinging the sword first to his side, and then out towards their enemies, he shouted, "Adamant **_Barrage_**!" And then extremely large shards of diamond were flying, propelled by an unknown demonic force, towards the group of demons.

Sesshoumaru held his Tokijin at chest level while Inuyasha attacked, and then the sword began glowing an electric blue, and he said calmly, "Dragon Strike." Those words were followed by a blast of blue demonic power, which, coupled with the Adamant Barrage, proceeded to eliminate the remaining demons.

* * *

**Jubilee looked **over to Wolverine as the two dog demons sheathed their swords. "Did you see what I just saw?"

"Yeah, I saw it." He said, before turning around. Without another word, he walked over to where Yukio lay and knelt down beside her body. Gently, he reached out and rolled her over, not at all surprised to see four scratch marks on her face, where Viper's poisoned finger nails had scratched her. Undoubtedly the poison had killed her slowly, which was why she was curled up the way she was.

Everyone was silent as Logan grieved for his friend. A couple of tears slid slowly down his face, though he never sobbed. He murmured an apology to her, which the demons present pretended to not overhear. Jubilee, knowing he needed a moment's space, kept her distance this time. She remained silent as her own tears slid over her cheeks. Yukio had, after all, been her friend, too.

* * *

**After a **few quiet minutes, Logan released Yukio's body and stepped back. When he turned to once again face his allies, they all understood the hardened look in his eyes. "We need to find her. An' when we do, I'm gonna end this once an' fer all. I'll understand if you don't wanna be involved in this anymore; won't be any hard feelin's. But this is somethin' I gotta do." As he spoke, Jubilee returned to his side, giving him her silent support.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and scoffed. "Keh. 'Course we're still in this. That witch gets away with too damn much, an' it's high time someone did somethin' about it."

"I agree. And it will be easiest to find her if we work together. Hiryu?" Sesshoumaru declared, glancing over at the demon.

Hiryu nodded and shut his eyes momentarily. Then they opened and he said, "Yeah, she was teleported away by an outside party. Mutant, from what I can tell about the teleportation signature. It'll be a piece of cake to track."

"Then do so." Sesshoumaru instructed. Hiryu's eyes again drifted shut. While he was busy, Jubilee spoke.

"How is he tracking her? If she teleported, then shouldn't that make her **_harder_** to find?"

"He's a teleporting demon. Because o' that, he can track other teleporter's trails like we can people's scents. An' he's been doing it for centuries, so no modern-day mutant's gonna give him a run for his money." Inuyasha explained. She nodded.

"Oh, cool. That's helpful."

Hiryu's eyes snapped open barely an instant after the words had left the firecracker's mouth. "My lord, I've found Viper's destination. I believe we need to return home immediately."

Both Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's heads snapped towards the teleporter at his words. "Home? Are you saying that that **_witch_** transported herself to the mansion?" Inuyasha asked, nearly growling the question.

"Yes, Master Inuyasha."

"Then teleport us home at once, Hiryu. We do not have the time, nor the luxury to stall." Sesshoumaru ordered. Hiryu stepped in between the dog demons and mutants, extending his hands slightly towards them. A moment later, they simply vanished from where they stood, as if they'd never truly been there.

* * *

**They reappeared** almost instantly on the front lawn. Which had been turned into nothing short of a war zone. There were demons and mutants and well-trained human assassins trading blows everywhere one looked.

As Hiryu, Wolverine, and Jubilee ran into the battle, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru took a moment to look around. And Inuyasha caught a glimpse of something surrounded in pink light shooting out of an open window to the side of the house. Spinning his head around, he watched as it connected with the shoulder of a flying demon. The demon roared in agony as it's left shoulder was purified. But the demon didn't die. _Kagome!_

With a speed born from too many dangerous battles in his youth, Inuyasha leapt into the air and pulled out his Tetsusaiga. The demon that Kagome had attacked was aiming for another hit, obviously confident that it would breach her barrier. Which is when Inuyasha realized that she wasn't surrounded by one. _Damn it all to Hell! I told her to put up a barrier!_ "Stay the hell away from her, you bastard!" Inuyasha growled, raising his sword up above his head. "**_Wind Scar!_**" The demon reared back a split-second too late. It was obliterated by the attack.

Inuyasha landed again, spinning around in the moment of calm to look over at his mate. "What the hell d'you think you're doing? I told you to put up a barrier!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him from the other side of the broken window. "I did! It's holding Rin and Karu. I left to try and find our daughter, who seems intent on fighting these demons with her macho cousins!"

"**_Dammit!_** I'll go find the pups; you go back to the barrier!"

"I can't, remember? I'd have to take the barrier down to get back inside it, and that would take just long enough for some **_ninja assassin_** to pop in and kill them!"

"And what about you? You can't sustain two separate barriers, an' you sure as hell aren't invulnerable without one!"

"It's not like I've never been in a fight before, you know!" Noticing movement that obviously wasn't demonic behind him, she shouted, "Inuyasha, look out!"

The half-demon spun around, lifting his powerful sword as a makeshift shield, barely dodging the mutant's blast of energy. It was then that he noticed the demonic aura coming from somewhere behind him. _Shit!_ "Kagome, get down!" He spun again, faster this time, and bellowed, "**_Wind Scar!_**" Subsequently, the room Kagome had been standing in needed a new wall. But the demon who'd just tried to assassinate her was destroyed, and she was fine.

Without hesitation, Kagome launched herself from her spot on the ground and ran towards the protective half-demon, stopping only when she stood directly in front of him. Instead of taking a moment to ask her if she was alright, he bent down and stole another passionate, if brief, kiss. Then he knelt on the ground beside her, still clutching his sword. "If you're gonna insist on fighting, then you'll be fighting where I can keep an eye on you. Get on." Kagome obliged and within moments, they were off to fight more demons.

* * *

**Sesshoumaru was** beginning to get irritated. He wasn't the kind of demon who appreciated having his home invaded by the enemy. In fact, he was quite the opposite. With an inner roar of frustration, he once again pulled out his Tokijin. This time, however, he jumped above the battle before he stated, "Dragon Strike." The demons, humans, and mutants he'd been fighting never stood a chance.

From his vantage point in the air, he could see Hiryu, Wolverine and Jubilee cutting down their opponents with relative ease. That was when he spotted his brother and Kagome running back to the battle. With a thought, he redirected himself in their direction. He came to a halt at the same instant that Inuyasha let her off of his back.

"Rin's fine. She's with Karu." Kagome said before the question had left his lips. Then she notched an arrow and fired it at the demon who'd been thinking of slaughtering them. Sesshoumaru looked over to his brother wordlessly.

"She left the barrier to find 'Kara, Tai, and Matt. Apparently they thought they'd play 'hero' today."

Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding. Then he spun around and obliterated a dozen more demons. Inuyasha swung his sword and did the same.

* * *

**Wolverine was **busy hacking his way through a horde of ninjas who had no sense of self-preservation, and he never saw the demon that was sneaking up on his partner-in-crime. Jubilee herself was busy trying to outmaneuver a mutant whose ability allowed her to compensate for he opponents powers.

"Hold still, wouldja?" Jubilee snapped, sending another shower of exploding plasma towards the woman. Again, her adversary dodged it with irritating ease. Jubilee hauled back to deliver a more wide-range attack that would be much harder to avoid when she felt that rush of air that indicated an attack. But she felt it too late, because a split-second later, she felt something else.

She couldn't suppress the scream that tore from her lips as the demon's claws embedded themselves in her right side before tearing free again. The fireworks that she'd been in the process of building up exploded in a brilliant flash of pinks, blues, yellows, and greens. She collapsed, first to her knees, then her stomach, as the pain overwhelmed her. She wasn't exactly used to being 'sideswiped'.

Even over the screams of those around him, Jubilee's scream managed to pierce through Wolverine's battle-induced haze with ease. And it terrified him. With a roar as feral as his namesake, he cut through the three or four members of Hand that separated him from her and collapsed by her side. She was barely conscious, and he wasn't sure how she'd managed to stay awake. Despite himself, his claws retracted and he reached for her, well aware that he was nearly trembling with the effort. "Jubes…darlin', can ya hear me?"

"W-wolvie…it…hurts." She sputtered in a whisper. He barely heard her.

"I know it does, darlin', but ya gotta be tough. You'll…you'll pull through this." Even as he said it, he knew he was lying. It would take a miracle for her to survive that wound. And he was well aware that his life simply wasn't filled with miracles.

"I-I'm sorry…Logan. I…tried."

"Don't you apologize, darlin', don't you dare." He scolded on a whisper that matched her own. On instinct, he reached down and wrapped her small hand in one of his larger ones, squeezing tightly. Her fingers twitched in response; it was the best she could manage. Then her hand went limp, and the breeze shifted. Her scent assaulted his nose mercilessly. She was gone.

_**To Be Continued…**_

**_A/N:_** Ok, now **_that_** was a cliffhanger. I know, I know, horrible of me, right? So, R&R and then, y'know, read some more! Oh, and I apologize, but it's kinda hard to write a Wolverine-grieving scene…but maybe that's just me.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N:_** Chapter 6 is up! Look! Sorry again for the cliff-hanger…it just seemed like a good spot for one…hope you understand. Anyway, hope you're all enjoying this story so far; it's almost over! (Isn't that sad? LOL). So, please, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the X-Men. Honestly, people.

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Chapter 6:**

**Wolverine's roar** of outrage and pain sliced through the battlefield, echoing in the ears and minds of the combatants. The demon who'd slain Jubilee was still standing there, a satisfied smirk on his thin lips. "Want me to send you to join her, mutant?" It snarled arrogantly, flexing its blood-stained claws.

Wolverine fixed his gaze on the overconfident demon and glared at him as he rocked back on his heels, popped his claws, and lunged forward with all the ferocity of the berserker rage that he could feel himself slipping in to. Without Jubilee there, he wasn't sure he'd come out of it anytime soon; and part of him wasn't sure he wanted to.

With an animalistic roar that would make any demon think twice, Wolverine plunged his claws into the demon's chest, and then tore them out, effectively shredding his adversary. Then he stepped back, breathing hard and crouched, daring someone else to challenge him.

The red haze hovering over his thoughts, and blinding his mind's eye, lifted when Kagome shouted at him to "Grab Jubilee and get out of the way!" Without actually acknowledging that he'd heard her, he spun around, scooped up Jubilee's still-warm body and ran towards the edge of the battle, where Kagome and the others were standing. Hiryu popped in front of him and cleared the path, cutting down those who tried to stop them.

As soon as Wolverine and Hiryu were clear, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha stepped forward once again. Sesshoumaru called, "Dragon Strike," while Inuyasha lifted the diamond Tetsusaiga over his head and shouted "Adamant **_Barrage_**!" Behind them, Kagome spotted a small group of lesser demons who'd decided to hide in an effort to avoid the combined attacks. They were watching with silent awe as their comrades were destroyed by the two dog demon's swords. She quietly notched an arrow, aiming at the center of where they stood. Her eyes narrowing in concentration, she whispered, "Go!" and released the arrow. The demons were purified instantly.

* * *

**When the **dust cleared, nothing was left of their adversaries except for some memories and a few broken windows. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru sheathed their swords and turned around, to where Wolverine was cradling the bloody body of his sidekick. They exchanged a look, and Sesshoumaru stepped towards him.

"Wolverine, if you would please step back, I believe I can revive her." He stated, waiting until Logan's pain-filled gaze met his golden one.

"How?" Logan managed, not caring if his voice wasn't quite controlled.

"The Tenseiga," Sesshoumaru paused and rested a clawed hand on the aforementioned sword's hilt, "has the ability to revive the dead. I was not able to use it for your friend, Yukio, because the messenger's from the Netherworld had already claimed her. But it is not too late for Jubilee."

Logan nodded, forcing himself to think logically, and gently laid her down on the ground. Then he pushed to his feet and took two steps backwards. He watched silently as Sesshoumaru unsheathed the sword he'd called Tenseiga. Unlike Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, it didn't enlarge dramatically. It merely glowed a bright blue as Sesshoumaru's gaze fixed on something that no one else was able to see. Then he swung the sword swiftly, slicing through empty air. When he had finished, he sheathed it once more.

That was when Wolverine noticed that the gaping wound in Jubilee's side had healed, almost as if it had never been there. And a moment later, he heard her heart begin to beat again, slowly at first, and then increase until it was beating normally. He released the breath he hadn't been aware of holding when he realized that she truly was alive once again.

* * *

**Jubilee moaned** slightly as she pulled herself to her knees. _What's going on? I'm pretty sure I died…or I thought I died. Where's Wolvie?_ As her mind attempted to process what had happened, her left hand absently reached over and touched the spot on her opposite side where she'd been fatally injured. It took her a moment to realize that the wound was no longer there.

She didn't have time to think about **_why_** that was true, because that was when she saw Logan drop to his knees in front of her and the next thing she knew, she was pressed up against him as he held her tight. Jubilee snuggled into him, returning the embrace reassuringly. "It's ok, Wolvie." She whispered, knowing he would hear her.

* * *

**Twenty minutes** later, they were all gathered in the conference room. Jaken had done a survey of the damage to the building and reported that there were ten broken windows, three doors irreparably damaged, and one wall had been obliterated. Inuyasha owned up to the wall. Sesshoumaru had gone and checked on Rin and Karu, who were both fine. Tai, Matt, and Chikara were found out back, where they'd been fighting a few of their own demons, and they, too, were perfectly fine. There had been a total of four casualties in the fight (not counting Jubilee, who'd survived in a round-about way).

Kagome and Jubilee were both sitting at the table while the men remained standing. After going over damage costs, Sesshoumaru looked towards Hiryu. "Are you still able to track Viper's location?"

The telelporter nodded. "Yes, my lord. I believe I know where she is. Would you like me to scout ahead, just to be sure?"

Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly. "That would be wise. Report back what you find, but do not engage in battle unless it is unavoidable."

"Understood." Hiryu agreed before disappearing once more. Then Sesshoumaru turned to Wolverine.

"I will have someone go to the island and retrieve your friend's body. Tell me, where would like her to be buried?"

Logan was silent a moment, and then, finally, he replied, "Tokyo Cemetery."

"It will be done, then." Sesshoumaru replied.

* * *

**Barely five **minutes later, Hiryu reappeared in the conference room. "My lord, I've found Viper. She's more confident than I would've guessed; she's alone. Now would be the perfect time to strike."

Sesshoumaru looked back to Wolverine, who was now sitting beside Jubilee at the large table. Wolverine stood, placing a restraining hand on Jubilee's shoulder as she, too, tried to rise. "I want to do this on my own. If it's all the same to you, I have a few scores to settle with Viper."

"Fine by me." Inuyasha declared. Sesshoumaru nodded silent agreement.

Hiryu shifted his gaze to Wolverine. "Then allow me to be your escort."

"Let's get this done with." Logan agreed. A moment later, they were gone.

* * *

**Jubilee spent** the next hour and a half helping to clean up the debris that was scattered throughout the living room. She was also using it as an excuse to distract herself from worrying about Logan. _It's stupid of me to worry about him. He's more than capable of taking care of himself; and he's definitely stronger than that bitch, Viper. Still, she's not exactly a pushover. What if it's a trap? What if she wanted Hiryu to think that she was alone? She's certainly capable of tricking him, even if he is a demon. Darn it! This is so frustrating! I wish I was there to help him right now. But I probably would only get in the way, which is why he had me stay here._ She sighed, flopping down on the couch. _Oh, Wolvie, I hope you're alright._

* * *

**It wasn't** until another hour after that that Wolverine and Hiryu returned home. Since it was rather late, most of the mansion's residents had already gone to bed for the evening. Inuyasha had volunteered to stay up and wait for them, so he was lounging in the living room when they popped in.

"How'd it go?" He asked as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Successful." Wolverine replied. His uniform was torn, but he himself looked just fine.

"Viper's out of our hair now. Hopefully forever." Hiryu added, stretching.

Inuyasha nodded. "Good. Unless there's something else you have to tell me, I'm goin' to bed."

"Not a thing." Logan said as he, too, headed for the stairs. Hiryu simply bypassed the stairs, teleporting straight to his room.

* * *

**Logan entered** silently, doing his best not to wake Jubilee. He shut the door with an almost inaudible _click_ and then flipped the lock shut. He didn't bother with turning on a light, as he was perfectly able to see in the dark. When he turned around, he noticed first that the bed was empty. He tensed and cut his eyes to the couch, and the tension fled. Jubilee was sitting there, her head tilted to the side as she slept. _She must've tried waitin' up fer me. Sorry, darlin'._

Moving quietly, he stepped up beside the couch and scooped her up. Unlike the night before, however, she woke as he lifted her. "Logan?" She asked sleepily.

"Hush, Jubes. It's me." He replied as he carried her to the bed once more.

"How'd it go?" She asked, sounding a bit more awake this time. She allowed him to deposit her on the bed, but when he pulled back, she clamped her small hand firmly around his wrist. He studied her for a minute.

"I killed her. But she wasn't as alone as Hiryu thought, so we had a bit of a fight on our hands first. Sorry to make ya worry, darlin'."

Jubilee shrugged a bit as she sat up, releasing his wrist. "'S ok, I suppose. You're ok, right?"

He was silent again, a bit longer this time. Finally, he said, "Yeah, I'm ok. Ya shouldn't worry so much about an' old geezer like me, Jubes."

Jubilee scoffed. "Oh please, Wolvie. You're not **_that_** old. I mean, look around ya, prob'ly most o' the people under this roof are older than you! And, by the way, I'm always gonna worry, so you'll just have to learn to deal with it."

Logan sighed and sat down next to her. "Tell me again **_why_** you worry? One o' these days I ain't gonna come back; it's unavoidable. Sure, it won't be anytime soon, but with the life we lead, ya can't take risks like that. So why worry, when ya know it's comin'?"

It was Jubilee's turn to hesitate as she took a few moments to formulate her response. Finally, she replied, "You're my best friend. My partner. You're the only reason I joined the X-Men, and the main reason I've stayed on. Most people would take the hint, after getting shipped off to Boston and Gen X, and then kicked off the team again after being strung up on a cross. A normal person would assume they weren't wanted and go home with their tail between their legs. But I ain't ever been normal, y'know, and I don't quit. Which, by the way, I learned from you."

Logan couldn't suppress the grin that stole across his face at her words. "No, Jubilee, one thing you'll never be is a quitter. But ya weren't a quitter when I met ya, either, so don't go blamin' all o' that on me."

Jubilee lightly punched his arm. "True, I was a stubborn mall-rat when we met." Logan grabbed the offending wrist and pulled sharply, landing her squarely in his lap. She gave a soft, half-hearted shriek and tried to clamber off of him, but he held her tight.

"Jubes, yer **_still_** a stubborn mall-rat. That ain't changed."

"And you're still Mr. Macho, what's your point?" She teased, readjusting herself in his lap so that she could comfortably wrap her arms around his neck and rest her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply.

"Not sure I had a point, darlin'. Are you sure ya feel alright?" He asked, one hand trailing up to lightly touch her side, where she'd been practically gutted.

"Yes, I'm sure. I feel fine. Better than fine; if it weren't for the **_memory_** of the injury, I wouldn't know I'd been injured…let alone…killed." She said the last part softly, still not able to believe that she had, in fact, died earlier that day. After a second, she added, "I'm sorry I scared you, Wolvie."

"'Scared' don't come close, but it's ok now. Ain't like ya did it on purpose, after all." He rumbled as his mind replayed the image of her dead and bleeding on the ground. The memory of her scream as she fell. Without thinking, he said, "I've lost a lot o' people in my life, Jubes. I don't want to add you to that list. Ever."

Jubilee was quiet for a minute, not knowing what to say. Then, finally, she settled on, "You won't lose me. 'Cause I sure don't plan on goin' anywhere. But you have to promise that you won't leave me, either, ok?"

Pulling back slightly, Logan tilted her chin up with his hand and said, "It's a deal, darlin'." And then, before he could give himself time to think about it, he leaned down and captured her lips with his. She gasped and froze for a moment, then wound her arms tighter around his neck and returned the kiss, knowing instinctively that this was the chance she never thought she'd get.

They kissed passionately for a short while, Logan's masterful tongue delving into her mouth and dancing with hers. Then he began exploring, and she slipped her tongue past his to return the gesture. After a few moments, however, he pulled away. But he didn't look away, or release her and run from the room as she'd always feared he would. He kept his gaze firmly on hers, and she smiled up at him.

"Wolvie, I-"

"I know, darlin', I know. I love you, too, Jubilee."

At first she was surprised that he already knew her 'secret', but then she reminded herself that he was Wolverine. He could probably smell it. What really did surprise her was what he'd said after that. _He-he loves me? Seriously? Or am I about to wake up? Damn, I hope I don't wake up._

"C'mon, darlin', it's been a long day. We both need our rest." Logan's words cut through her thoughts, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I am kinda tired." Two seconds later, she was all tucked in. Logan leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "G'night, Wolvie." She managed a moment before her exhaustion overwhelmed her.

"'Night, Jubilee." He mumbled before heading back to the couch. It didn't take him long to drift off to sleep.

* * *

**Kagome was** wide awake when Inuyasha returned to their room that night. He smirked at her as he chucked his shirt and pants, placing the Tetsusaiga down on the top of the dresser, before climbing in beside her. He looped an arm around her waist and rolled over, straddling her hips and stealing a kiss.

Kagome returned the kiss willingly, not particularly surprised by his behavior. But she was also fully conscious of the mutant with hearing as good as her husband's in the next room, so she put an end to the kiss after a few seconds. "I assume they came back ok?" She asked in between ragged breaths.

Inuyasha took the hint and rolled over again, pulling her against him. "Yeah, they got back fine. From what I could smell, though, they went through hell first."

"And Viper?"

"Good and dead."

"That's a relief." She whispered, playing absentmindedly with the rosary that still hung around his neck. "Good night, Inuyasha."

The arm around her waist tightened marginally. "'Night, wench." She chuckled at him softly as sleep claimed her. He followed a moment later.

* * *

**That morning**, Wolverine told Sesshoumaru about what had happened with Viper, and in exchange, Sesshoumaru told him that Yukio had been sent to the local morgue, and that preparations were underway for her burial. He also promised to give him a call when she was to be buried.

Logan and Jubilee spent the rest of the afternoon helping with the remaining cleaning. Tai, who they discovered was a construction worker, and his best friend Ben (another construction worker) spent the day replacing the wall that Inuyasha's Wind Scar had demolished.

* * *

**It was **late afternoon when everything was finally done. Jubilee flopped on the couch beside Chikara, exhausted after having spent the past two hours scrubbing tile floors. Logan came in a minute later and handed her a bottle of water. "I'm gonna try an' book us a flight outta here tonight, that sound good?"

"Sure. I'm runnin' out of clothes, anyway."

"We would be perfectly happy to wash some for you, if you'd rather stay and wait." Kagome offered from her seat on another couch.

Logan shook his head. "Nah, there's a couple o' people back home who'd wanna know 'bout the funeral. Yukio was a friend to the X-Men, not just us."

"Ok, then."

"Hiryu can take you back to the institute. Cheaper that way, too." Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly.

"We wouldn't wanna impose any more 'n we already have."

"Keh. Ain't imposin' if we're offering. **_Hiryu!_**"

The demonic teleporter appeared immediately, bowing respectfully. "You bellowed, Master Inuyasha?" Kagome chuckled.

"We'd like you to teleport our friends home. Do you mind?" Kagome asked before Inuyasha could be rude about it.

"Not at all, Lady Kagome." Then he turned to the X-Men and added, "Where to?"

* * *

**Five minutes** later they were back at Xavier's. Of course, because of the time difference, it was just after three in the morning. "This the place?" Hiryu asked quietly.

"Yep. Thanks for the lift." Jubilee replied. The demon nodded and vanished almost simultaneously. Jubilee turned to Logan. "See, this is the problem with instantaneous travel. I'm so **_not_** ready to sleep. And everyone around here is dead to the world."

Logan grinned. "Five minutes ago ya were goin' on about how tired ya were, and now yer home and ya don't wanna sleep?"

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny. Ok, so cleaning made me a bit tired. And I probably could sleep…if I have to."

"You can do whatever ya want, Jubes. Me, I think sleep sounds good right about now. An' when we come down fer breakfast in the mornin', the look on Slim's face'll be worth it."

Jubilee sighed as she followed him up the stairs. "Yeah, I guess that's a good point." A couple of minutes later, they were standing in front of her bedroom door. Quickly, she reached over and planted her lips on his. They pulled apart a few seconds later. "'Night, Wolvster." She said before slipping into her room and closing the door behind her.

* * *

**Friday morning**, the in-house X-Men gathered together in the kitchen. They were just sitting down to eat when Betsy, Jean, and Xavier all looked up and turned their heads towards the entrance to the kitchen. The action caught everyone else's attention, and they all put their forks down, fearing another before-breakfast battle. Almost everyone was surprised when Wolverine and Jubilee walked in.

"What, no one made me anything?" Jubilee asked, a grin on her face.

"When did the two of you get home?" Scott demanded as he watched Jubilee grab a bowl and pour Sugar Bombs into it. Then she added milk and took her formerly vacant seat. Logan grabbed the leftover bacon and hash browns and piled them onto his plate.

"Last night around three. Figured you didn't want us wakin' ya up, so we headed off fer bed instead."

"And what was so important that you couldn't tell me what was going on?"

Logan took a deep breath and set down his fork. "That's a discussion I think we need ta have **_after_** breakfast, Cyke."

"One last question. What did you mean when you said you had **_demons_** this time?"

Jubilee piped up. "Oh! You're totally never going to believe this! First of all, I for one sure didn't realize that half-demons were practically immortal, ok? And we **_definitely _**weren't expecting to run into Inuyasha and Kagome in Tokyo, either. And did you know that Inuyasha has an older brother? But he's a full-demon; and he's got **_two_** swords! Anyway, apparently, Inuyasha and Kagome have been alive for 500 years now…"

The team listened with varying degrees of interest as Jubilee explained all about their newfound allies, while carefully avoiding the topic of **_why_** they'd run into them, and what they did while they were there. When she told them that Inuyasha and Kagome had ten kids floating around somewhere, Gambit slid a suggestive look over to Rogue, who promptly smacked him upside the head. A few people laughed.

* * *

**After breakfast** the team descended to the War Room and sat down, patiently awaiting whatever it was that Logan had to tell them. So he told them the entire story (omitting the part about his and Jubilee's newfound relationship). When he was done, everyone was quiet. Ororo had tears running down her face, as she and Yukio had been close over the years. Kurt laid a comforting hand over one of hers, squeezing gently.

Finally, Charles spoke. "Logan, would it be alright with you if we all accompanied you to her funeral? I think we would all like to go and say our good-byes."

Logan nodded curtly. "Yeah, I kinda figured you'd wanna do that, Chuck. Sesshoumaru said he'd give me a call when it came time to go back fer the funeral. I'll let ya know when it comes in."

"Thank you." Charles replied softly. Shortly after the conversation, everyone slowly migrated back upstairs. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and no one complained about being bored. They were all grateful for the quiet time.

_**To Be Concluded…**_

**_A/N:_** Yeah, you read it right. 'Concluded.' Next chapter is the last one! I do hope you've all enjoyed it so far! Oh, and don't forget to review!


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N:_** Here it is, folks! The final chapter! I'm very grateful to all of you who've read this thing all the way through, and even more so to those of you who've reviewed! I hope this doesn't disappoint!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the X-Men. All I own is my imagination, and some of the products of that imagination are scattered throughout this story. They shouldn't be too hard to pick out.

**Chance Encounters II: the Hand v the Fang**

**Epilogue:**

**The day** was warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky as the X-Men's _Blackbird_ landed gently in the large backyard of Sesshoumaru's home. He had called Wolverine a couple of days before and given him the date and time of the funeral. Logan had informed him that his teammates wanted to come, and Sesshoumaru had invited them to land their jet where it would be most convenient; his backyard.

Sesshoumaru, Rin, Inuyasha, and Kagome were all standing on the back porch, watching silently. The black jet landed and the engine cut off as the hatch opened. A fairly large group of people began descending from it, dressed in appropriate clothes for a funeral.

Wolverine walked off first, wearing the only black suit he owned. Jubilee was just behind him, wearing a knee-length black skirt and a midnight blue t-shirt. A few feet behind her, Storm followed, dressed in a full-length, flowing black dress. It had a scoop-neck and no sleeves, and she wore her lightning-bolt earrings as well. Xavier followed her, in his own black suit and tie. Behind him, Cyclops and Jean walked side-by-side down the ramp. Scott, like all the men, wore a suit. Jean had on a long-sleeved black dress with a V-neck and skirt that billowed at the knees. Rogue, walking next to Gambit, had on black dress pants and a black turtle-neck sweatshirt with a gold necklace over it. Shadowcat was dressed in a black work suit, the skirt going to her knees and a midnight blue blouse underneath the black over coat. Illyana had a long black skirt and a black t-shirt, her blonde hair piled up in a bun. Archangel, Psylocke, and Nightcrawler brought up the rear. Betsy donned a black skirt that billowed around her knees and a black, scoop necked sweater.

* * *

**The X-Men** followed Wolverine and Jubilee to the house, stopping as they stopped in front of the small group that had come to greet them. Many of them recognized Inuyasha and Kagome fairly quickly, but none recognized Sesshoumaru and Rin.

"Hope you don't mind the crowd." Logan said by way of introduction. Inuyasha smirked slightly.

"We can deal with it. But I have to admit, I don't know that guy." Inuyasha replied, indicating Nightcrawler.

A few minutes later, all the necessary introductions had been made and everyone was gathered inside. There were still a couple of hours before the funeral began, so they sat and spent the time talking.

* * *

**The funeral** went by without a hitch. They all stood and watched as Yukio's coffin was placed underground. Many people cried. Those who knew her said good-bye to the risk-taking woman she'd been. Even Rin and Kagome, who had never met her, cried a bit. They could see how close she'd been to the people who had traveled across the world to be here, and they were sad for the loss.

After the funeral was over, the group returned to Sesshoumaru's mansion and some ate lunch, others weren't hungry enough. They stayed for about another hour, and then something in one of Scott's pockets began buzzing irritably. He stood.

"I hate to say this, people, but it looks like we've got to cut this short. Bishop's calling." Bishop had opted to stay behind, as he hadn't known Yukio and someone, logically, had to watch the city.

The team grumbled as they stood and began following Scott towards the back door. "Some people have no sense of timing." Betsy commented dryly.

"**_Any day now, Cyclops!"_** Bishop's voice snapped through the communicator Scott held.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Bishop." Turning, Scott added, "Illyana, I hate to ask this of you…"

"No you don't. And yes, I'll do it. Who'm I taking?"

"Rogue, Colossus, Shadowcat, Gambit and Nightcrawler. The rest of us will catch up as soon as we're able."

"Ok. Let's go, then." And the demonic sorceress teleported herself and her comrades away, to fight an unknown battle. Yet again.

* * *

**Wolverine and** Jubilee turned back to Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Rin and Kagome before they entered the jet. "Thanks fer yer help these past few days. You ever need anything, give us a holler."

"Likewise." Sesshoumaru stated, extending his clawed hand towards Logan. Logan shook it firmly.

"We gotta go, then."

"See you later!" Jubilee added, waving as she hurried to follow her partner up the steps of the _Blackbird_'s hatch. Moments later, the jet was speeding toward Westchester and their teammates.

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha after the X-Men had flown off. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?"

He shrugged as they all turned to go back inside. "I don't know. I suppose it's possible. Hell, we're gonna be around long enough, after all."

"Tell me, little brother, when is your house going to be finished?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Should be this weekend. What, you in a hurry to get me outta your house again?"

"Always." Sesshoumaru said plainly. Inuyasha smirked at the joke.

"Some things just won't ever change, huh?" He asked lightly.

"No, some things will not."

**THE END**

**_A/N:_** There you have it folks! The story is done! Yes, I know this chapter was **_very_** short; but that's why it's called an 'epilogue.' And, just so you know, I'm well aware that Yukio and the X-Men weren't all **_that_** close, but this is how I wanted the story to end. So that's how it ended. Hope you understand. And I really hope you all liked it! Don't forget to review!


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